A Panther's Gaiden
by iGottaTinkle
Summary: This story contains the life of a panther demoness, who happens to go through a devastating life of searching, roaming, and constantly struggling to maintain her sanity. The pain of losing her lover, friends, and shunned by her people and family has wrecked the demoness mentally. Desperate to regain her former life, the demoness seeks powers; despite the darkness it will give her.
1. Chapter 1

**My first fanfiction that I've ever published...the beginning seems quite boring in my opinion...but I'll leave the rest to the readers. Let me know if I should continue! :) It gets better.**

The Northern lands of the feudal era had a family of feline demons as their rulers. The Lord of the lands had a daughter named Yuya and a son named Isamu. Yuya was born second to the throne of the Northern Lands. She was 262 years old at the time and her older brother, Isamu, was to be the heir to the throne with her in line after him. Due to this, she is given permission to wander in and out of the palace as she pleases. Nobody bothered to stop her and her parents knew that she would take care of herself. After all, no living being would try to hurt the daughter of a powerful lord.

Noboru, her father, was a veteran of a devastating war. He lost a leg from the battle and will soon be taken down from his position due to his disability. Akane, Yuya's mother, is known as Red Rage because of her hair color and temper. She is also known to be one of the most beautiful women among the lands, alongside her old friend, Miyu, who was killed during the previous war. Rumor has gone around saying that Akane is the real mastermind behind Noboru's lordship and he obeys her completely. This isn't really true, but she is like his advisor.

On sunny days, Yuya tends to go out and enjoy herself in the temporary freedom. It was a typical day for her, when she suddenly heard sounds of an object being swung over and over again. She poked her head through a bush and noticed the backside of a human boy. He wore a ragged yukata with pants and had on straw sandals. His hair was tied in a braid and it extended down to his shoulders. The boy's skin was tanned from being out in the sun, but not enough to get sunburn. Yuya thought the boy seemed a bit...cute. Her brother had always told her humans weren't worth being attracted to and she agreed, but this time she ignored it.

He wouldn't reject me, she thought to herself wearing a smug expression, I'm the daughter of Noboru...he should know that since he lives in my father's territory. Dragging herself out from underneath the bushes, she soon realized that her kimono was caught within the twigs and branches; she couldn't get out unless she was willing to be seen with her clothing torn up. Yuya had anticipated that the fabric would be so easy to tear and was puzzled at why they're worth so much. She heard the voice of a boy who was clearly holding back his laughter and immediately knew who it was. Yuya blushed in embarrassment that the boy was watching her humiliation.

The boy had tried to ask her if she needed help, but was too busy holding back his amusement. Well this is a good way to present myself, Yuya scowled as she began tearing at the branches and twigs.

"It won't do you any good," the boy said and began untying his sash.

Yuya's mind began wandering places where a kid's imagination should not be, as she watched him seemingly strip in front of her. He then lowered his kimono down on to the grass.

"Wear this once you get out. Don't worry; you have no sex appeal, so you're fine."

Yuya didn't want to be branded with no sex appeal; she wanted to be like her mom."Fine, hurry up and turn around! This is getting uncomfortable!" She snarled at him while dragging herself out of the bush and hearing the fabric of her kimono tearing. Her mom will definitely scold her when she gets home. Once Yuya was free, she tore off the ruined kimono and wore the boy's rags. Surprisingly it was comfortable and smelled fresh. _Peasants aren't all dirty after all, huh_? Yuya realized and continued sniffing the oversized, dark green kimono.

"Done?" said the familiar voice.

Yuya looked up and saw the boy even more clearly. His eyes were a gentle cobalt shade and his hair has a tint of blue. Never has she seen a human with such a pretty eye color. The ones she sees are commonly brown.

"Yes...thank you, commoner." Yuya nodded, causing the boy to tilt his head. He didn't know why she referred to him as a commoner and wondered if she was just playing royalty. Clearly he didn't know her identity.

"I'm sorry; I have no time to be playing princess with you. Maybe you should go home?" The boy implied, gently patting her on the head since she was shorter than him by at least a foot.

"I'm not playing princess, I'm a noble lady." Yuya announced, not liking the way he was treating her. "And I do not appreciate you patting me like that. I can tear off your arm right now."She was hoping her threat would work, because technically she wasn't allowed to hurt a civilian.

Ignoring her, the boy resumed swinging the stick.

"Why are you doing that?" Yuya asked him since she had never personally seen anyone do that before. Her brother did, but his was considered swordplay and was much more elegant and complicated compared to the boy's.

"I'm training." He replied, and was beginning to grow sweaty from the heat.

Being used to tending to her brother while he's training, Yuya decided to use her torn up kimono as a handkerchief for him to wipe off his sweat.

"Here," she said, handing it to the boy. "Do all guys train like this? My brother does this too."

The boy lowered the stick, reached for the torn up kimono, and began wiping his forehead and neck, "Not really, it's just to make us stronger."

"Why do you guys need to be stronger?"

The boy glanced at her as he tossed away the cloth and began swinging again, "To protect...avenge...to grow...all that stuff."

"I don't get it."

"Well you're just slow then. Leave me alone now; I have a lot of work to do."

Huffing, Yuya was getting ready to go home since it was going to be dinner time soon. "What's your name?" she asked, "Will you be here tomorrow?"

The boy paused and lowered the wooden stick once again, and then pointed to his chest, "The name's Bankotsu...and if you ever need me, I'll be right here."

"That's a weird name...did your parents make it up?"

The question had caused Bankotsu to become upset, and then he resumed training, "I don't have parents anymore," He mumbled and began swinging the stick even more furiously. "We escaped from a village which was under attack…we came to the village and..." he paused for a moment, and didn't bother finishing that sentence, "The villagers always call me brat, kid, useless bum, names like that. So I gave myself a fearsome name...Bankotsu."

Yuya's eyes softened at his unfortunate life, she wanted to be his friend. "I'll come visit you every day then. You don't sound like you have friends."

Bankotsu paused and began to stutter, "Wh-who said I didn't have friends?! I have plenty...Th-they're just not here to train with me!" He then avoided her other questions and continued swinging his stick until the sun began to set.

"Oh, i better get home..." Yuya said as she noticed the sky turning orange and red, "I'll see you tomorrow then Bankotsu. Make sure you come!" She then began running off into the woods in his rags, forgetting that she had them on.

"She seems pretty funny." Bankotsu grinned, and then sneezed due to being partially naked. It had begun to grow cold.

**Now toss in a review... -folds hands- e_e**


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, the sky was grayed out by clouds and heavy rainfall. There was nothing but the sounds of rain splashing against metal pots and equipment outside the door. Cold gusts of wind flowed through the bamboo shades that were used as a door. The warmth of the fireplace kept the two warm, and both enjoyed each other's company whilst sharing a blanket. They watched the fire flicker and had lined up some sweet potatoes on a stick to cook.

"Do you always deal with the rain like this?" Yuya asked as she found herself unconsciously scooting closer to Bankotsu's warmth. His body stiffened by the physical contact, but he eventually brushed it off and replied to her, "Kind of…sometimes I just go and sleep it off. I can't go outside to catch a meal, because I don't feel like getting sick. It's troublesome to handle when you live alone."

Yuya was listening as she watched the fire's light dance across Bankotsu's face. He had an unreadable expression which seemed to worry her. _Was he lonely?_ She wondered, _Maybe I'll try to convince him to move in with me…oh wait...Isamu will definitely object._

"Is your brother going to be mad when you get home?" questioned Bankotsu, who was bothered by the way her brother acted towards him. He still remembers the look upon the demon's face when angered. It ruined the first impression that Bankotsu had for him; a gentle and loving sibling. Unfortunately, he turned out to have an ego and a rude personality.

Shaking her head, Yuya reached for one of the sweet potatoes that they were roasting, and began blowing away the steam and attempting to cool the potato off. She didn't know how to eat it without having to peel the skin, because her sweet potatoes were always served mashed up or already peeled for her. Yuya didn't even know that you had to peel them.

Knowing this, Bankotsu leaned forward and tilted his head watching her struggle with the burning potato skin. "Do you like…need help with everything?" He asked, surprised that she was so incapable of such simple every day chores and common deeds, "It seems like you can't even bathe without the water being prepared for you."

Yuya continued blowing at the potato and picking at its skin, but jolting back each time it burned her finger. "Well…I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth." She managed to blurt out in self-defense, not wanting to sound unreliable and useless.

"Seriously, if you ever plan to live with me, you should learn how to do simple household chores and cook." Bankotsu said, folding both of his hands behind his head.

Lowering her sweet potato, Yuya gazed at him with concern, "But my mom said women have more uses than that…and it's not just the women who do the chores at my palace—" It took her a while to process what he had said and her eyes began widening and her face flushed with embarrassment, "I-I was joking! I only said that I'd live with you because I thought you were lonely!"

Bankotsu snickered at her remark, "Yeah, sure…that's what they all say. As handsome as I am, a woman would be honored!" Standing up, he allowed the blankets to slide off of his body as he rolled up his stitched sleeves and revealed the small muscles within his biceps, "Look, these are muscles…and I have a lot of them. Like I said, they're signs that you've been training hard and on the road to manhood!"

Staring at his miniature muscles, Yuya's eyes trailed down to his pants and she then pointed towards it with the stick of sweet potatoes, "But mom said your manhood is the thing between your legs. I didn't know there was a road for manhood. Mom said men are born with it…are you sure you aren't mutated?"

This had embarrassed Bankotsu because he didn't know how to explain the thing between his legs to a girl. Growing up, he knew it was like a forbidden subject for kids to learn about, but he felt sympathetic for her ignorance so he decided to tell her, "The thing between my legs is used to make babies, Yuya. But all I've used it for so far is to pee, and it will have its uses when I get older." He didn't want to admit that it hardens when he thinks about naked women and that time when Yuya was stroking his chest.

"Oooh…men have babies? I thought that is the woman's job." Yuya murmured as she placed her torn up sweet potato down and began wrapping herself up even tighter with the blankets. Without his warmth underneath the covers, she was growing cold.

The situation was growing awkward and Bankotsu longed for the sun to shine so he can escape from this conversation; he wished that he had an umbrella.


	3. Chapter 3

Bankotsu had already washed up and looked around for a cloth to wipe his face. Since he couldn't find any, he headed back to his shed and dug around for one, leaving Yuya alone at the stream. She took huge gulps of the stream water for she was unaware of her thirst until Bankotsu mentioned the stream. After being refreshed, she scooted closer to the edge of the stream and began playing with the pebbles under the water. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her back and before she could react, her body was shoved into the stream and she thrashed out. After seeing who it was, she screamed out the evildoer's name, "BANKOTSU!"

His laughs and chuckles mixed with her shouts and cries echoed throughout the forest. They were unaware of a figure standing not too far from them and were too busy splashing at each other. Bankotsu began taking off his haori to wash off the stress from a day's work. They both played around and splashed at each other until they both saw a shadow gently float over their heads and land gracefully at the stream's bank where they had stood.

The figure's silver hair with black stripes flowed down his back like a cape as he finished landing; it was Isamu.

"B-brother!" Yuya blurted, fully aware of his intentions, "What're you doing here? How'd you find this place?"

Isamu cocked his head to the side and spoke in an utterly confusing tone. He was surprisingly soothing and calm as he spoke, "It doesn't matter, being your brother, it is my duty to know of your whereabouts. Come on; let's go home, dear sister."

"No! I want to stay and play with Bankotsu—"Pausing, Yuya promptly silenced herself at the mention of his name. She knew her brother hated Bankotsu after she talked about him at the dinner table nonstop. Since her brother was overprotective, she wanted to get Bankotsu away from him. Isamu had done atrocious things to any male friends that she grows to become close to. It got so severe to the point where nobody around her age would dare to play with her or even speak to her. That is the reason behind her lack of entertainment in the palace.

"Oh, this young man is Bankotsu, huh?" Isamu whispered, lowering his cold gaze upon the young boy, and ignored Yuya's quivering jaw. She wanted him to leave and she wanted Bankotsu to run…now.

"Boy…here," Isamu then tossed a bag of gold in front of Bankotsu's feet, "Take this money and forever leave my sister alone. The likes of you don't deserve to be around her."

Yuya froze in place and lowered her head. This was the same bribe Isamu had usually used against her male friends. 100% of the time, they left her and enjoyed the newfound wealth that they had received just by being with her. Some even came back for more, but were beaten brutally in return. Yuya knew this would be the end of her friendship with Bankotsu…and waited for the dreaded word of 'Okay.'

"No, I'm not taking it."

Yuya's head shot up and she stared at him with disbelief. He had refused the money…a huge amount of money!

"Money isn't going to bring my family back. Money isn't going to help me grow up to become stronger. Money will only make me greedy." Picking up the bag of gold, he held it out in Isamu's face with a stern expression, which gave the demon a shock of surprise.

"Don't be stubborn with me, boy!" Isamu growled, "If you take this money, you'll get whatever you want. Sure, your family won't come back, but you can always use this money to hire a teacher for you to TRAIN to become stronger!"

Bankotsu simply shook his head, and dropped the gold in front of Isamu, as he did to him. "Like I said, I don't want it. I'll learn my own way."

Yuya watched Bankotsu with admiration. She liked men who didn't rely on money and driven by greed. As much as she hated his guts, she really liked him. At her age, she didn't know which type of like did she actually mean, but she paid it no mind.

Isamu began approaching Bankotsu with an obvious killing aura radiating around him, Yuya could only stay back and watch the show with intense fear. She didn't know how to stand up to her brother, nor did she want to risk getting beaten by someone who is supposedly more fearsome than her dad. Bankotsu still didn't budge. He stood there with his back straight, head up, and eyes forward glaring at the now approaching tiger demon.

There was a complete silence at first, and suddenly, Isamu smashed his fist against Bankotsu's stomach, sending him flying into a boulder, which then shattered from the force. Thanks to Bankotsu's constant training, he wasn't knocked out from the impact.

Standing back up with several cuts and a bloody arm, Bankotsu stood there looking around for a weapon to defend himself. Isamu was ready to deal an even deadlier blow to him, knowing that he must've trained pretty hard to withstand that amount of strength.

Isamu flashed in front of Bankotsu and began delivering more blows to his body, and a few times his face. Yuya had stood there frozen in place with her hands cupped up to her mouth. She didn't know how to stop her brother at this rate, but seeing the pained expressions on her friend's face struck her like a flaming arrow. For the first time, she lashed out, pushing Isamu back and standing in front of the badly bruised and beaten Bankotsu. He stared up at her from the corner of his eyes. One of them was swollen from the beating.

"Brother, stop this nonsense! He's just a friend…he means no harm. Why don't you just go back home before I force you to go home myself?" was what came out of her mouth, to Isamu and Bankotsu's surprise. Yuya was even more surprised by the fact that she had just stood up for a human and went against her brother, the future lord of this land.

There was an uncomfortable silence at that time, but turning around, Yuya went over to the injured Bankotsu. "Can you walk?" she asked with nervousness in her tone, without waiting for a reply, she grabbed his arm, wrapped it around her shoulder, and hoisted his body weight onto hers. Yuya could feel Isamu's emotions swirling and mixing up into something unidentified.

"I think we should leave." Yuya whispered to Bankotsu, who grunted at each step he took. The muscles in his body ached, for they have never dealt with something this severe. Eventually, they left the scene much to her relief.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, the sky was grayed out by clouds and heavy rainfall. There was nothing but the sounds of rain splashing against metal pots and equipment outside the door. Cold gusts of wind flowed through the bamboo shades that were used as a door. The warmth of the fireplace kept the two warm, and both enjoyed each other's company whilst sharing a blanket. They watched the fire flicker and had lined up some sweet potatoes on a stick to cook.

"Do you always deal with the rain like this?" Yuya asked as she found herself unconsciously scooting closer to Bankotsu's warmth. His body stiffened by the physical contact, but he eventually brushed it off and replied to her, "Kind of…sometimes I just go and sleep it off. I can't go outside to catch a meal, because I don't feel like getting sick. It's troublesome to handle when you live alone."

Yuya was listening as she watched the fire's light dance across Bankotsu's face. He had an unreadable expression which seemed to worry her. _Was he lonely?_ She wondered, _Maybe I'll try to convince him to move in with me…oh wait...Isamu will definitely object._

"Is your brother going to be mad when you get home?" questioned Bankotsu, who was bothered by the way her brother acted towards him. He still remembers the look upon the demon's face when angered. It ruined the first impression that Bankotsu had for him; a gentle and loving sibling. Unfortunately, he turned out to have an ego and a rude personality.

Shaking her head, Yuya reached for one of the sweet potatoes that they were roasting, and began blowing away the steam and attempting to cool the potato off. She didn't know how to eat it without having to peel the skin, because her sweet potatoes were always served mashed up or already peeled for her. Yuya didn't even know that you had to peel them.

Knowing this, Bankotsu leaned forward and tilted his head watching her struggle with the burning potato skin. "Do you like…need help with everything?" He asked, surprised that she was so incapable of such simple every day chores and common deeds, "It seems like you can't even bathe without the water being prepared for you."

Yuya continued blowing at the potato and picking at its skin, but jolting back each time it burned her finger. "Well…I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth." She managed to blurt out in self-defense, not wanting to sound unreliable and useless.

"Seriously, if you ever plan to live with me, you should learn how to do simple household chores and cook." Bankotsu said, folding both of his hands behind his head.

Lowering her sweet potato, Yuya gazed at him with concern, "But my mom said women have more uses than that…and it's not just the women who do the chores at my palace—" It took her a while to process what he had said and her eyes began widening and her face flushed with embarrassment, "I-I was joking! I only said that I'd live with you because I thought you were lonely!"

Bankotsu snickered at her remark, "Yeah, sure…that's what they all say. As handsome as I am, a woman would be honored!" Standing up, he allowed the blankets to slide off of his body as he rolled up his stitched sleeves and revealed the small muscles within his biceps, "Look, these are muscles…and I have a lot of them. Like I said, they're signs that you've been training hard and on the road to manhood!"

Staring at his miniature muscles, Yuya's eyes trailed down to his pants and she then pointed towards it with the stick of sweet potatoes, "But mom said your manhood is the thing between your legs. I didn't know there was a road for manhood. Mom said men are born with it…are you sure you aren't mutated?"

This had embarrassed Bankotsu because he didn't know how to explain the thing between his legs to a girl. Growing up, he knew it was like a forbidden subject for kids to learn about, but he felt sympathetic for her ignorance so he decided to tell her, "The thing between my legs is used to make babies, Yuya. But all I've used it for so far is to pee, and it will have its uses when I get older." He didn't want to admit that it hardens when he thinks about naked women and that time when Yuya was stroking his chest.

"Oooh…men have babies? I thought that is the woman's job." Yuya murmured as she placed her torn up sweet potato down and began wrapping herself up even tighter with the blankets. Without his warmth underneath the covers, she was growing cold.

The situation was growing awkward and Bankotsu longed for the sun to shine so he can escape from this conversation; he wished that he had an umbrella.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, the sky was grayed out by clouds and heavy rainfall. There was nothing but the sounds of rain splashing against metal pots and equipment outside the door. Cold gusts of wind flowed through the bamboo shades that were used as a door. The warmth of the fireplace kept the two warm, and both enjoyed each other's company whilst sharing a blanket. They watched the fire flicker and had lined up some sweet potatoes on a stick to cook.

"Do you always deal with the rain like this?" Yuya asked as she found herself unconsciously scooting closer to Bankotsu's warmth. His body stiffened by the physical contact, but he eventually brushed it off and replied to her, "Kind of…sometimes I just go and sleep it off. I can't go outside to catch a meal, because I don't feel like getting sick. It's troublesome to handle when you live alone."

Yuya was listening as she watched the fire's light dance across Bankotsu's face. He had an unreadable expression which seemed to worry her. _Was he lonely?_ She wondered, _Maybe I'll try to convince him to move in with me…oh wait...Isamu will definitely object._

"Is your brother going to be mad when you get home?" questioned Bankotsu, who was bothered by the way her brother acted towards him. He still remembers the look upon the demon's face when angered. It ruined the first impression that Bankotsu had for him; a gentle and loving sibling. Unfortunately, he turned out to have an ego and a rude personality.

Shaking her head, Yuya reached for one of the sweet potatoes that they were roasting, and began blowing away the steam and attempting to cool the potato off. She didn't know how to eat it without having to peel the skin, because her sweet potatoes were always served mashed up or already peeled for her. Yuya didn't even know that you had to peel them.

Knowing this, Bankotsu leaned forward and tilted his head watching her struggle with the burning potato skin. "Do you like…need help with everything?" He asked, surprised that she was so incapable of such simple every day chores and common deeds, "It seems like you can't even bathe without the water being prepared for you."

Yuya continued blowing at the potato and picking at its skin, but jolting back each time it burned her finger. "Well…I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth." She managed to blurt out in self-defense, not wanting to sound unreliable and useless.

"Seriously, if you ever plan to live with me, you should learn how to do simple household chores and cook." Bankotsu said, folding both of his hands behind his head.

Lowering her sweet potato, Yuya gazed at him with concern, "But my mom said women have more uses than that…and it's not just the women who do the chores at my palace—" It took her a while to process what he had said and her eyes began widening and her face flushed with embarrassment, "I-I was joking! I only said that I'd live with you because I thought you were lonely!"

Bankotsu snickered at her remark, "Yeah, sure…that's what they all say. As handsome as I am, a woman would be honored!" Standing up, he allowed the blankets to slide off of his body as he rolled up his stitched sleeves and revealed the small muscles within his biceps, "Look, these are muscles…and I have a lot of them. Like I said, they're signs that you've been training hard and on the road to manhood!"

Staring at his miniature muscles, Yuya's eyes trailed down to his pants and she then pointed towards it with the stick of sweet potatoes, "But mom said your manhood is the thing between your legs. I didn't know there was a road for manhood. Mom said men are born with it…are you sure you aren't mutated?"

This had embarrassed Bankotsu because he didn't know how to explain the thing between his legs to a girl. Growing up, he knew it was like a forbidden subject for kids to learn about, but he felt sympathetic for her ignorance so he decided to tell her, "The thing between my legs is used to make babies, Yuya. But all I've used it for so far is to pee, and it will have its uses when I get older." He didn't want to admit that it hardens when he thinks about naked women and that time when Yuya was stroking his chest.

"Oooh…men have babies? I thought that is the woman's job." Yuya murmured as she placed her torn up sweet potato down and began wrapping herself up even tighter with the blankets. Without his warmth underneath the covers, she was growing cold.

The situation was growing awkward and Bankotsu longed for the sun to shine so he can escape from this conversation; he wished that he had an umbrella.


	6. Chapter 6

Bankotsu's shed was running out of supplies and he needed some blankets for the upcoming winter. Yuya offered to come along so that they would be more convinced to give him the items. Once they arrived, the villagers gaped at them in surprise. They had no idea that the two were friends, and they clearly began showing panic on their faces. The harsh treatment and words they threw at the young boy may be used against them with Yuya with him. The villagers thought he was bringing her to punish them.

"P-PLEASE…WE…WE DIDN'T MEAN TO," cried one of the elderly villagers, who immediately dashed in front of Yuya and dropped down to his knees for forgiveness. More of them began crowding around her, begging for her forgiveness. She only eyed them with bewilderment and whirled her head around to face an utterly entertained Bankotsu. A wide grin was spread across his face, but his eyes were filled with mischief and satisfaction.

Knowing how the villagers treated him, Yuya decided to use the opportunity to get their supplies. "Bankotsu needs the best and warmest blankets you have. Just two or three would be enough. He also wants some fruit, vegetables, and meat for the winter." Her voice had gone from immature and low to a voice which shows that she is the authority and the power around here. It also reveals to the villagers that she was serious, so they immediately went to work. They brought back two cartloads of food that could last them a couple of weeks. The women had brought over blankets made of cotton and sheep skin.

"These are the best blankets that we have…they belong to the village leader." Said one of the women; she was carrying a baby on her back. The infant was breathing slightly heavily and it began whimpering and whining. The woman's expression was pained as she heard her child's cries. Once she couldn't take any more of the torture, she blurted out, "Please! You're the daughter of our lord! Please, please save my baby! He's struck with a high fever and we don't have enough money to buy medicine! So please…please…" She then broke out into tears as the other women began comforting her.

"You idiot! Don't speak to lady Yuya like that! She won't listen to your pleas…not after what we did to that bra- boy!" hollered an elderly man, who turned out to be the village chief. His short and hunched over figure made its way through a crowd, who spread out to make way for him. The chief's cane barely helped him stand up, so his sons were there to help him. Stopping a few feet away from Yuya, the chief stared at her face with an unreadable expression…because his eyes weren't visible under his long eyebrows, and his mouth was hidden behind his thick mustache and beard. Only his wrinkles and nose could be seen on his face. "We apologize deeply for what we've done to your friend…we didn't mean to. I'm willing to take the responsibility for whatever actions you find disapproving."

"Chief!" cried some of the villagers, who reached out and placed their palms on him. They really cared deeply for their chief and they didn't want to lose him. One of them turned towards Yuya and began begging her as well, "Please, don't hurt the chief…we'll do whatever you want…we'll give Bankotsu whatever he wants…just don't do anything to the chief!"

Yuya has an issue with drama, and this is exactly what she's getting. The sounds of their begging, chattering, and whining began to raise her boiling point at a rapid rate. I came here for food and supplies, Yuya thought to herself in aggravation, but what the hell is this?!  
Bankotsu's eyes narrowed at the chief as he was now a couple of feet away from him and could kill him at any moment, but decided to wait for the opportunity. He quickly tugged on her arm, "Come on, let's get the supplies and leave."

Jerking her sleeve away from his grasp, she raised her arm and wiggled a finger, motioning for the woman with the baby to come towards her. The woman immediately obeyed, wiping away her tears and forcing a smile. "Y-yes my lady?" The woman stuffily said, with hope in her tone.  
"I'll ask my father's men to bring medicine and blankets for the winter. Humans tend to get fevers and stuff like that in that season, yes?" Yuya questioned as she watched the lady grin gratefully at her first sentence.

"Yes…yes! Oh thank you! Thank you so much!" the woman cried before slowly kneeling and bowing her head low. Yuya stared down at the baby as the crowd cheered and thanked her. Her eyes glinted with a sense of playfulness as the baby's heavy eyelids fluttered, trying to stare at her. The baby was fascinated with Yuya's icy blue eyes and thought they were like gems or glowing orbs. Apparently he likes shiny things. "Nnnguh~" Whined the baby as it reached for Yuya and wriggled within the straps that restrained him to his mother's back. "Touya, what's wrong?" the mother asked as she untied the strap and held her baby tenderly. "Are you feeling worse?" She began kissing his forehead and brushing away stray hairs.

So cute…"Can…can I hold that baby?" Yuya asked as her face reddened from that request, "I've never…seen a human baby before…or even saw a baby before in my lifetime."

"Oh of course!" The woman immediately passed the baby up into Yuya's arms and watched her child being cradled by the demoness. She then stood up and watched as the child's pained expression changed a little bit, but he still had a fever.

Yuya allowed the child to play with her short strands of hair and ignored the fact that he was also tugging on it. Bankotsu had never seen her carry a baby, and to his surprise, he thought it was a cute sight. He enjoyed her gentle and loving side compared to her normal behavior and attitude. Crouching down next to her, he watched Yuya tenderly stroke the baby's hot cheeks.

"I better get medicine for him quick." Yuya muttered and handed the baby back to the woman. "I'll go home and grab some medicine. It'll be faster if I do it."

Bankotsu began dragging the carts back to his shed alongside Yuya, who was surprisingly pulling one as well.

The villagers watched them leave and everyone began to sigh and the chief whirled around to face everyone, "Nobody told me that brat was with Yuya…how long have they been friends?!" he hissed. The elderly man's kind image was shattered as he revealed his true nature. Everything he did and said was just an act.

"We didn't know," replied a villager, "We don't even know where he lives!"

Ignoring the information he had just heard, the chief narrowed his eyes towards the children who were leaving. "I'll get them back for sure…he most definitely wants me dead…after all, it was me who ordered the murder of his family. I better get rid of him before he gets to me."  
The woman's expression saddened as she realized that the savior of her child may just encounter troubles and knew that she couldn't help them. All she could do was pray for their safety.

Both Yuya and Bankotsu were enjoying a nice little meal for once that didn't involve meat constantly. They were growing tired of chicken, boar, and fish. Now they could enjoy some vegetables and juicy fruits. It has been a while since Bankotsu had grapes and oranges. He hasn't had anything sweet, so fruits made a great substitute. Yuya had already given the woman her baby's medicine, and the woman showered her with praise. The woman did happen to slip a note into Yuya's sleeve, but she had forgotten about it.

"You have… quite the reputation though, Yuya." Bankotsu managed to say through his full mouth, once he swallowed, he resumed speaking, "The villagers would never give me anything I ask for. They'd hit me and tell me to fuck off, ha-ha." He leaned back against the wall, folded his legs, and relaxed while eating an apple. His expression exposed his carefree feelings about that fact; he really didn't care of what they do to him. All he cared about was to become stronger and manage to provide for himself without the need to ask others.

"Not really…I could tell they didn't like you though, Banban." She began, but was cut off by Bankotsu's eyes being glued to her.

Bankotsu lowered the apple and spoke in a puzzled tone, "Banban…? When'd my name shorten? It's Bankotsu…Ban-Ko-tsu. Now say it with me." He slowly began speaking his name in syllables, "Ban…" and paused, waiting for her to flow along.

Yuya only watched him embarrass himself as she chewed away at a carrot, "Banban." She suddenly said which resulted in him grabbing her by the waist and began tickling her. Yuya unintentionally spat out the chewed up carrot and dropped the partially eaten one. Her giggles and cries for help rang along the walls of the shed. She was now on her back hysterically laughing with glee, while Bankotsu held her arms down with his knees and hunched over her, tickling Yuya's belly and ribs.

"Y-YOU JERK! S-ST—AHAHAHA, STOP!" She couldn't speak a full sentence without bursting out in laughter. She was rarely tickled, so she's not used to this treatment and her body obviously would respond on an extreme level of laughter.

"Not until you say my name properly, little girl!" Bankotsu chuckled as he couldn't stop tormenting her because he found it completely humorous to make her grunt and wriggle around like a typical village girl; unladylike.

"BAN..BAHAHAHA!"

"Nope, not there yet!"

"BA—NOOOHOHOHO~!" Yuya's laughter shifted and she began gasping for breath as tears rolled down her cheeks. Her throat was going dry as well.

Noticing her shortness of air, Bankotsu got up and stepped away from her, expecting a beating. He watched as she stood up and dusted herself off, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. "Ban-kun…how about that?" She said, lifting her now rose-colored face, "It's easier to say than Bankotsu."

"I'd rather you call me Banban." He mumbled with a poker face, "Ban-kun sounds weird. It doesn't fit someone like you. I'd rather you talk like a five year old." As he said the last sentence, Yuya glowered at him and an idea lit up in her mind, "Could it be that…you're into little girls?"  
Bankotsu's eyes widened at her accusation, and he began to defend his pride as a man-boy, "I just think…it's just…I just think you sound cuter when you're playful….You sound like a man when you're angry."

This confession drove Yuya into a moment of insecurity. Her eyes then lowered and wandered the floor, looking for something to hit him with, "I...I don't sound like a guy...or I don't believe I do." she muttered, beginning to grow self-conscious about her voice. Maybe I'll ask mom and dad…they wouldn't lie to me about this stuff. She thought, and then shrugged off what he had just said. Bankotsu was surprised that she didn't beat him to a pulp. "You…you aren't going to hit me?" he asked, "You're usually so violent."

All this detail felt like arrows to Yuya's self-esteem. Nobody had told her she was beautiful, pretty, or even adorable, but Bankotsu did mention she was cute…only when she was being nice. That wasn't enough, considering the amount of criticism she received. "Well I'm SORRY, for being so violent! I was born this way, and I plan to stay like this!"

Wanting to eat away her sorrows, Yuya went over and picked up the partially eaten carrot and soaked it in a bucket of clean water to wash off the dirt. She then flopped down onto the pile of blankets; her weight caused her to sink into them.

"Did I mention that you were heavy that one time I carried you? You look like you weigh less than you actually did."

Yuya's tears were on the verge of pouring out, but she didn't want to show weakness, "Shut up." She snarled as she bit down on the carrot furiously. "You didn't have to carry me anyway!"

Bankotsu sighed and combed his hair back with his fingers. He never had to deal with a girl before and a stubborn one at that. "I'll make it up to you…how about I make you some mushroom soup?" he beckoned, hoping it'd tingle her senses and make her brighten up.  
As expected, Yuya's pointy ears twitched and she looked up from the stale tasting carrot. "Mushroom soup? What's that?" she asked eyes full of curiosity as usual.

"Trust me, it's delicious…nobles like you probably have never tasted it before." He assured her, "I make pretty delicious ones too. Just need some spices and some fresh ingredients. It's really easy to make!" Yuya pretended to be angry and huffed, turning away from him, "Fine, do whatever you want…make sure it's delicious." Deep down, she couldn't wait for this so-called delicious soup. It sounded good because she loves mushrooms.

The shed was brightly lit by the multiple fireplaces they had started up. Through the barred windows, outsiders could see steam and smoke flow out of the shed. The scent of mushrooms and a spicy kind of soup could make any mouth water. It was already night time and the full moon illuminated the night alongside twinkling stars. A gentle cool breeze brushed by every few minutes and the remaining leaves on the trees began to peel away as well. Winter was approaching and the night is going to be cold. A bowl of hot soup was definitely what they needed.


	7. Chapter 7

"It's done!" Bankotsu cheered as he was surrounded by bowls and burnt mushrooms. He failed a couple of times and some of the mushrooms weren't even edible anymore. He managed to find bunches that were still fresh. "Yuya, come inside, it's cold tonight…come sit, I think this soup is perfect!" Bankotsu began pouring the soup into two bowls. They didn't need a spoon, since the mushrooms were cut up into small chunks. Yuya made her way into the shed carrying some firewood. Her mouth could almost taste the soup already; it was indeed delicious. Lowering the firewood, she hopped over to where the fireplace sat, and she kneeled down next to Bankotsu. "Where'd you learn how to cook?" she asked as she lifted her bowl of soup and began blowing on it.

"I learned from an old lady who lived here. She died, so I buried her in the back yard." Bankotsu explained while gulping down a mouthful of soup. He chewed the mushrooms while his eyes were lowered. The old lady must've been like a grandmother to him.

"She died of old age, huh…" Yuya whispered, feeling sympathy for him.

"No, she didn't. She was killed by the village chief." He muttered, eyes blazing with hate, "He killed her because she was a half demon…they said she was hideous…I didn't care what she looked like. She was the only person who cared about me."

Yuya didn't think the loyal villagers would conduct such atrocious behavior without it being known to her father, or even herself. Now she was ashamed of even helping the villagers. That whole time, she thought they were humble humans, but now she views them as greedy group of savages. She couldn't wait to have a conversation with the village chief.

After finishing their meal, both of them were so full that they felt their bellies ache. "I better teach the chefs how to cook this." Yuya muttered and began burping a few times.

"You really act like a boy, you know that?" Bankotsu eventually said through muffled burps, "Maybe you were supposed to be born a guy…man it would be nice to have a brother."

"Does that mean you don't want a female companion?" Yuya asked with her voice abnormally hardened. Bankotsu faced her and wondered what the problem was. Her lips were curled into a frown and her eyebrows were arched low, Bankotsu decided not to say anything because he knew his words probably wouldn't comfort her.

From Yuya's point of view, she thought he didn't care. _He didn't even pat me_, she thought sadly, _maybe he doesn't really like me like that. He probably sees me as a friend._ Disappointed, Yuya stood up and dumped her bowl into a bucket filled with other dishes. "I'll wash them." She offered, trying to sound neutral.

"Are you sure you know how to do it?" Bankotsu asked, unaware of her grief, and this had offended her even more.

"Yeah, don't underestimate me. Here," With her back still turned, Yuya extended her arm towards him while reaching for the bowl. Bankotsu thought her behavior was strange, but handed the bowl to her anyway. Realizing that it was going to be pretty windy tonight, he decided to go outside and bring all the clothes back indoors. Yuya was having a bit of trouble with the dishes, but she was careful enough not to break them. After a couple of successful attempts, she managed to clean her first bunch of dishes…but resulted in a lot of puddles. Just as she was going to wipe away the evidence, Bankotsu had come to check up on her.

"I'll do it," He smiled down at her and pulled out a cloth from behind him. Crouching down, he began wiping away the puddles.

It was almost midnight and the both of them were growing tired. Yuya made sure she slept on one side of the shed and Bankotsu was to sleep on the opposite side. "You better stay over there too. I didn't care last time because you were too hurt to move." Yuya commanded, pulling her blankets up to her chin. Bankotsu had allowed her to sleep in his bed, which could only fit one person anyway. He chose to sleep on the floor, using layers of clothing as a mattress, bundled up clothing as a pillow, and one of the thick blankets they had gotten from the village. It was an extra cold night, so he used two instead. Both Bankotsu and Yuya were engulfed in silence, with only the sound of crackling flames in the fireplace. The wind could be heard brushing itself along the branches and leaves. Soon enough, the fireplace blew out leaving the two in darkness lit only by the moonlight.

"Bankotsu?" Yuya called, not wanting to admit that she was actually afraid of the dark, and always made sure a light source was within the room. She wanted to see everything around her and make sure she was safe while awake.

"Hmnn..?" He grumbled, partially awake and rolled around to face her, "What's wrong?"

"Can you light the fireplace again? It blew out…" she whispered, not wanting to get off the bed, just in case something was lingering around on the floor.

Bankotsu stared at her as though he were saying 'seriously?'

"Please?" she whispered once again, eyeing the fireplace and the darkest corners in the room.

Getting up, Bankotsu felt the cold air engulf him once again as he pushed away his blankets. Making his way over to the fireplace, he began lighting it up again. Once the fire was brought back to life, he held out his hands, warming it up in the process.

Yuya gazed at the back of his head and she began to imagine how his life must be living in the shed alone. He probably had to do this every night despite the fact that the weather is icy cold. She felt that pinch of sympathy again, and didn't like it one bit.

"I'll let you sleep on the foot of the bed." She suddenly blurted out. Yuya didn't know that humans of opposite genders weren't supposed to sleep on the same bed unless they were old enough. She was never taught proper sex education and adult behavior.

Bankotsu rotated his head in a 90 degree angle and watched her from the corner of his eyes, "Are you sure about that? I take up a lot of space…with me moving everywhere and all." He asked, surprised by her sudden generosity.

"That's fine, as long as it isn't summer time where people would get all hot and sweaty. Since it's chilly; the more cramped, the better." Nodded Yuya, feeling like a good person again as the guilt lifted.

"Sure, scoot over." Bankotsu commanded, swatting his hand to show her how far. Each time she moved back and inch, he'd tell her to scoot again. Now she was literally against the wall with barely enough space to turn.

"You're just messing with me now aren't you?" She murmured, unamused.

Crawling over the bed covers; Bankotsu let out a wide yawn and ignored her question. Lying down, he let out a satisfied sigh and reached for a blanket which happened to be sprawled out on the floor. Covering himself with it, he did this because he didn't want them accidentally touching each other underneath the covers, so he decided to use a separate one without being with her under the same sheet. Now she could relax and not worry about him doing anything funky to her under the blankets.

"Night." He grumbled before dozing off in a comfortable position. Yuya was still literally pinned to the wall and facing the back of his head. _Oh how I hate being the nice one here_, she thought to herself bitterly and slowly closed her heavy eyelids.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, Yuya's body was aching and she couldn't even stretch. Bankotsu had taken over 50% of the bed with his arms and legs wide open. His arm was now on her neck, and his right leg on hers. She was pissed off at herself for letting him share the bed with her. Despite the fact that this was his bed, he still took up too much space.

"Men." Yuya muttered ungratefully before grabbing onto his arm and pushing it off of her. To her surprise, it was quite heavy for a teenage boy. "He must really be working out," she said as she gazed down at his biceps and muscles, "Oh look, they must've grown since the last time I've seen them."

Feeling touchy as usual, she sat up, and then began squeezing the muscles, going down his arm, pinching the skin gently.

Her morning has begun with her massaging Bankotsu, who smiled from the treatment, unaware of himself being massaged and prodded. Yuya had almost felt like drawing on his peaceful face, but couldn't find a brush or any ink. "Hopeless boy…how is he going to write to—oh wait, nevermind." She had forgotten that he was alone in his social life; nobody but himself in his own little world.

Suddenly, she heard him mumble in his sleep, and was curious in what he was saying. It sounded like a bunch of complaining. Not wanting his complaints to spoil her morning, she crawled over him from the cramped corner. Now she had space to stretch, and gladly let her muscles breathe. For the first time, she actually woke up before Bankotsu did. The fire had burned out again, but she didn't care. The sun was shining through the window and door. Pushing past the blinds of the door, Yuya's head darted from left to right. There was nobody in sight, but there were birds and butterflies around. The grass was now a brighter green thanks to the sunlight, and flowers seemingly glowed with a pure tint.

Yuya approached the flowerbed growing in the middle of nowhere. It seemed as though she was going to examine them, but then she lifted her leg and immediately crushed them with the heel of her barefoot. She hated flowers because they reminded her of a girl. The girl always tended to flowers, so they left an unpleasant memory in Yuya's mind. Everyone thought the girl was beautiful and had always compared her to gardenias or any else beautiful.

Yuya would always be feared and compared to a storm. Being a female as well, she didn't want to be feared and definitely didn't want to be compared to a storm. Storms were ugly and could only cause destruction. The girl was loved by the people around her and Isamu as well. Nobody paid attention to her when the girl was around. Even though Yuya had never known her name or even spoke to her, she still didn't like her. She was jealous, but didn't want to admit it. Her parents explained to her that it was because Yuya always wore dark colors and acted violent, but Yuya pointed out that her violence was because of mom's trait. As a result, Yuya was whacked by her mother and sent to her room.

All this had happened many, many years ago. This was when Yuya was still a toddler who couldn't speak a sentence properly. Despite the fact that she was so young, her grudge against the girl stayed through her adolescent years.

"The next time I see her, I'll make sure I give her a piece of my mind." Yuya growled, cracking her knuckles as she stepped away from the crushed flowers. She wasn't satisfied with it simply being flattened, so she went into the shed and got a knife. Crouching down, she began stabbing the flowers and cutting them up.

She wasn't aware of Bankotsu standing over her with an amused expression. "What'd these flowers do to make you hate them so much?" He suddenly asked, causing Yuya to stumble and almost cut herself with the knife.

"Nothing…they…the flowers were dying so I…put them to rest…?" Yuya said as she attempted to lie her way out, but she was a shitty liar. Bankotsu wasn't buying it, and took the knife from her hands.

"Little girls shouldn't be playing with dangerous weapons." He smirked, tucking the knife into his sash. It took Yuya a while for her to catch onto what he had just said.

"HEY!" she shrieked, "I'm NOT a little girl! I'm waaaay older than you, I'll tear your throat out!"

Bankotsu puckered out his lips and folded his arms; he liked to mess with her and didn't seem to care that she called him a kid. "What do you want for breakfast, little girl?" He began, clearly showing no fear to her threats. This had shut Yuya up because she was beginning to get hungry. "Mushroom soup?" She chirped with her eyes wide.

They had another nice meal of mushroom soup, and this time Yuya made it. She added a bit too much spice and ended up causing Bankotsu to tear up. He had gulped a lot of water and his face was bright red. Yuya was glad that she had made a mistake, because she loved to watch him suffer after what he said to her that morning.

"You suck at cooking." Bankotsu said through clenched teeth.

This caused Yuya's eyes to widen, and she grabbed his collar and pushed him down, causing him to spill his water. She then sat on his chest and reached for a bowl of mushroom soup. Scooping the soup with a spoon, she forcefully fed him and howled with laughter as he cried for help. "This is for tickling me, BRAT! HAHA!" she hollered. Once she felt that he had enough of her torture, she lowered the bowl and went to find a cloth to clean up the mess. Bankotsu laid there with tears in his eyes, not from defeat, but from the extreme spiciness of the food.

Yuya's ears twitched as she heard rustling in the distance. _Strange…it smells like…people, _she thought to herself, _they shouldn't be able to find this place._ Pushing the teary eyed Bankotsu away, Yuya lifted the bamboo blinds and headed outside to check out the noise. The rustling of bushes had stopped, but the smell of humans still lingered in the air. Curious, Yuya wondered if it were just bandits; she'd have to handle them personally.

Just as she began wandering off, she was unaware that whoever it was, had tricked her sense of smell. There was a scarecrow piled with human clothing at least ten feet away from the shed. The culprits were wearing the hide of recently skinned animals.

Bankotsu had just recovered from the previous assault by Yuya, and wasn't aware that a couple of masked men had just entered the shed. They had a bag in hand; big enough to fit a boy. Bankotsu was blindfolded immediately, but he thought it was Yuya playing around again. "Come on Yuya, you already wore me out." He chuckled, but he felt that something wasn't right. There were low grunts coming from a figure taller than what Yuya would be. Now Bankotsu knew something was wrong. He threw out his fist, slamming it against one of the men's abdomen. The man cried out hysterically and threw up on the spot. Apparently Bankotsu packed a vicious punch for a human. They were not aware that he had such strength. The remaining three men leaped at him altogether, hoping it'd be enough to pin the boy down. During this, Bankotsu had torn off the blindfold and his carefree expression changed drastically. He ducked and caused one of the men to fly over him. One grabbed him by the waist and lifted him up into the air while the other was cracking his knuckles, thinking that they had won. Bankotsu threw his foot back, resulting in a ferocious kick into the man's crotch. The man howled out in pain and dropped him. Now Bankotsu was left with a seemingly weak looking man.

"Alright kid, it's just you and me. Be a good boy and come with us quietly. You wouldn't want anything to happen to that little girl would you?" the man grinned, believing that his words were enough to urge the boy into submission.

"Oh please, Yuya is a full blooded demon. If I could take you guys on, then you probably don't stand a chance against her." Bankotsu scoffed, knowing very well that these men weren't as strong as they appeared.

"You sure, kid? It seems to me that she hasn't returned yet despite all this noise."

"She wanders off a lot. You're stupider than you look. Don't you know who the girl is?"

"Yes of course, which is why we had to play dirty and trick her." Pulling out a piece of a peasant's clothing, the man breathed in the scent and lowered his eyes, "She's an idiot for an heiress to our lands. Might as well kill her…she isn't worthy to be a leader since the girl's nose was fooled so easily."


	9. Chapter 9

"Excuse me~" chimed a feminine voice, "Ah, there you are, sweet cheeks~" Bankotsu grinned at his newly arrived ally. The person was hard to see clearly with the sunlight glaring from behind, but you could easily see the figure to be that of a boy's.

Bankotsu lifted his arm and waved at the boy, clearly friendly with him. "Yo, you got here just in time, Jakotsu. We have a guest here…and please stop calling me that..." Jakotsu stepped inside and allowed the bamboo blinds to cover the sun's rays by a bit. He looked the man up and down before pulling out a little knife. "Look here, ugly… You better leave my sweet cheeks alone before I hurt you," He threatened, but knowing very well that he would never hurt someone…or he has never done it before. "I came here to enjoy a meal with my soul mate, but it seems to me that my plans will have to change."

"My god Jakotsu, for the last time I'm not your soul mate!" The now irritated boy grumbled, "And maybe I should remind you…I'm straight! I prefer females!"

"That's mean Ban-ban…I—" Jakotsu was cut off by the man, who was now charging at him with a knife. He quickly stepped to the side, stumbling over his straw sandals and let out a yelp as he fell into a pile of wood. "My god, he's serious!" whimpered Jakotsu, who had lost his knife during the assault.

Bankotsu leaped at the man and tackled him down, "Not so fast, jerk!" he grunted as he pinned the man down by his arms with his knees. Bankotsu threw punches at the man in the face while Jakotsu stood, cowering in the corner. "B-Bankotsu, be careful…he has a knife."

"Oh don't worry…" Bankotsu sighed, grabbing the man's fingers as he continued punching him. In just a few seconds, the sounds of bone being cracked and the man's shriek rang throughout the shed. Bankotsu had broken the man's fingers and as a result, he dropped the knife with his now disabled fingers. "He won't be able to use this anymore." Bankotsu grinned, wiping himself of the man's blood. He wasn't sure if he felt satisfied with just this, because this man was one of his main bullies back at the village. _Maybe just a bit more_, Bankotsu thought, and continued his attack.

Jakotsu was a bit shocked by his friend's actions. He has never seen him hurt someone like this before. "Ban…Bankotsu I think we should throw him out…you've hurt him enough." Bankotsu wasn't listening, he continued punching the man brutally until his face was slightly disfigured and his nose was broken.

"Bankotsu come on, stop!" Jakotsu shouted as he gritted his teeth nervously, "What if he dies?!"

Bankotsu paused and glanced back at his friend while taking a deep breath, "He won't."

"Think you're so tough, bastardized brat?!" The bloodied man snarled, obviously not showing fear. The word was one of Bankotsu's taboo vocabularies and he hated the word bastardized. _It wasn't me who chose to be an orphan_, he thought bitterly and was going to spare the man until he started spilling more insults and vulgar words.

"YOU DISGUSTING SON OF A BITCH! YOUR MOTHER DESERVED TO DIE, THAT STUPID WHORE CHOSE A FUCKING BLOOD THIRSTY PIECE OF TRASH OVER THE VILLAGE CHIEF'S SON. WHAT KIND OF DUMB BITCH WOULD DO THAT?! AS A REWARD, WE GANG RAPED HER, FUCKING WHORE DESERVED IT!"

Bankotsu's love for his mother was deep, so the man's words boiled his blood like lava. He had never felt this angry in his whole life; he wanted to tear this man's organs out. He wanted to rip out the man's tongue and eyeballs. He wanted to kill him.

"COME ON, KEEP ACTING TOUGH. BE LIKE YOUR SHITTY ASS FATHER. WE TORTURED HIM IN UNIMAGINABLE WAYS…ASSHOLE ACTUALLY HAD THE STRENGTH LEFT TO BEG THE CHIEF TO LEAVE HIS FAMILY ALONE, HA! A MURDERER BEGGING FOR SOMEONE'S LIFE? WHAT A FUCKING JOKE! IN FACT, WE MADE SURE YOUR MOTHER COULDN'T GIVE BIRTH ANYMORE RIGHT WHEN WE FINISHED FILLING UP HER DIRTY PIE HOLE!"

Jakotsu was growing disgusted by the man's words and began to really worry for Bankotsu's mental state. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the man's blood curdling cries. Bankotsu was stabbing him in the gut and twisting the knife around. "I DARE YOU TO SAY THAT AGAIN, YOU FUUUUUUUCKEEEEEERRR!" Bankotsu was screaming and hissing at the man as he dug the knife deeper. His face was now splattered by the man's blood and his internal organs were literally churned up into mush. Bankotsu wasn't finished, and began stabbing the man multiple times over and over again as his tears of abhorrence were pouring out.

Jakotsu was growing fearful of his suddenly changed friend. He stared down at the knife in his hand and wondered if he should follow along with his actions, but he saw Bankotsu's expression change drastically. He wasn't upset anymore…but his expression was no longer gentle.

"Jakotsu." Bankotsu breathed as he stood up and moved away from the bloody man's body. He began wiping the blood off of his face as well as the tears.

"Y-yeah?" the fruity boy replied in a tone which revealed his terror.

"Why don't you try killing some people too? It's actually quite fun. Now I know why father became a murderer in the first place. And you know what? FUCK THIS WORLD!" Bankotsu's expression was filled with utter excitement. His senses were tingling and his fingers were twitching. Looking down at the dying man, Bankotsu decided to add some more pain. He shoved his foot down onto the man's neck and began pressing down. The man's neck was then crushed and blood gushed out of his mouth. He let out one last gasp of air before dying.

Jakotsu didn't have anyone to tell him right from wrong and he assumed that he could get away with anything. He glanced down at his stainless knife, then at his own reflection on the blade. One of the men was trying to get up and wanted to run. His crotch still throbbed from the previous fight and it was hard for him to stand. Jakotsu approached him with a pitiful expression.

He stood over the man who looked up at him in deep fear. "P-please! Don't hurt me! I was ordered by the chief of the village to kidnap Bankotsu and teach him a lesson! I…I didn't want to do this!" the man was pleading to Jakotsu, who didn't want to listen to the man's cries.

"Sorry, but this is what happens when you mess with my friend…what you guys did to his parents is unforgiveable. It's my duty to protect him as a brother," Jakotsu mumbled before kneeling down and impaling the man in the chest. He winced as the blood splattered and the man couldn't choke out anymore cries. The knife was driven into the man's heart and chipped his ribcage. Surprisingly, Jakotsu didn't feel any different and didn't feel anything after watching the man bleed to death. "I...I feel the same." he muttered as he turned to face Bankotsu, who was amused by his friend's expression.

Yuya was standing face to face with a scarecrow who grinned at her seemingly insulting her. "Those jerks fooled me…wait…maybe they were after Ban—" she was then struck in the back of the head with a blunt weapon. She fell over into the arms of a villager who then stuffed her into a large sack and dragged her back to the village.


	10. Chapter 10

Both Bankotsu and Jakotsu had finished cleaning up the bodies and rinsed themselves off in a nearby stream. "I have a good idea Jakotsu…I know what we should do," said Bankotsu, who began squeezing the water out of his clothing, "We should become mercenaries…help others...get paid for it...and we'll make a living off of that. Hell, I'll even pay some women to entertain you!"

Jakotsu narrowed his eyes at him and didn't like the sound of women being part of the bargain. "I hate females, so what makes you think I'd be interested?" he questioned, tying his sash around his waist.

Once he was finished with the burial of the men, Bankotsu combed back his hair and allowed the wind to blow against his sweaty forehead, "Then I'll let you have an unlimited amount of handsome men."He then realized that Yuya hadn't returned for an abnormal amount of time. _Maybe she really is in trouble, _he thought to himself, _I'll make those villagers pay if they did something to my comrade._

Grabbing a couple of knives and blunt weapons, Bankotsu handed Jakotsu a machete. "You seem to do well with swords like these," Bankotsu commented, "I don't think you have the strength for blunt weapons." Jakotsu gratefully took the weapon and ran his finger along the blade. It had stains and dirt since it hasn't been cleaned for a while. Both friends headed to the same stream that they had bathed in and began washing their weapons.

"So why are we doing this again?" Jakotsu asked as he began drying off his machete with a washcloth, "Why are we suddenly getting weapons? Are we going somewhere?"

Bankotsu grinned as he lifted his knife into the sky, watching the sunlight glint along the metal. "We're gonna save a friend of mine. In fact, we're going to kill the village chief. That bastard deserves to die." His mood once again brightened as he could finally teach the villagers a lesson. He also enjoyed the feeling of a knife being driven into the flesh. It goes in nice and smoothly, a couple of bumpy moments, but still plunged deep.

Jakotsu tucked his machete into his sash and it dangled on the side of his hip. "Whoever it is, I'm ready. We probably wouldn't get away with murdering those people…may as well be criminals." He smirked at the idea of doing whatever the hell he wanted without any adults telling him what to do. This was what he considered freedom.

The idea of being a bandit had never occurred to Bankotsu, but he knew that the land contained many who are stronger than him. He decided that it'd be best to just stick to minor mercenary jobs like stealing, hunting, gang fights, anything minor. He wasn't really into the thought of being a criminal. Standing up, Bankotsu was ready for combat. His weapons were polished and cleaned. Today will be the day he avenges a father whom he never cared for, but might as well. It was his mother that he wanted to avenge the most. She loved Bankotsu dearly, and was murdered for being a killer's wife and rejecting an arranged marriage. He gently glided his finger along his blade, loving the cold feeling of it on his fingertips and couldn't wait until the weapon was covered in the treacherous chief's blood.

Yuya had awoken from her sudden blow, and she had a small headache. _I'll kill whoever the fuck would do this to me_, she thought bitterly, _in fact, I'll have father punish them!_

"Oh, our lady is awake guys! Come look!" shouted a man who appeared to be in his late 30s. Almost immediately, a herd of men and women gathered around to view her as though she were a circus animal.

"Never would I've imagine lady Yuya…trapped, bound, and helpless!" chuckled another man, who picked up a rock and began tossing it at her. The rest of the crowd followed, except a couple of young men and women, who deeply respect her. Knowing that they'd be killed if they help her, they decided to stay quiet and endure it.

Yuya's demon side was being stimulated by the disrespect and treatment. She resisted the urge to tear them apart and managed to hold back her true form. This went on until someone emerged with a thick wooden stick. She knew what he was going to do with it, and didn't like the idea. Men and women were handed sticks, staffs, and twigs. "Let's beat her for all that money and resources we had to waste on her spoiled ass!" someone cheered, whose voice oozed with wrath. Now Yuya was mad and began thrashing wildly within her tightly bound ropes and some anti-demon seals. It eventually began to drain her energy and weaken her.

"Now…where shall we do this…how about her legs?" A woman suggested, "Then she won't be able to escape from us…even if she does, she'd have to crawl like the pest she is." Everyone agreed surprisingly and three men began to lay her down with her arms and legs out for the world to see. Her limbs were bound, then she was blindfolded and gagged.

"This is going to hurt her a lot. Let's all take turns okay?"

A few women stepped forward and offered to start off. They were granted permission and they began swinging the thick branches down onto Yuya's humanly fragile legs. The roughness of the branch's bark and the amount of force used had scraped and pounded Yuya's legs. She winced and bit down on her gags as they began whacking her legs like rabbits pounding mochi. The pain then grew as two big strong men began slamming wooden mallets down onto her legs. Since she was still a young demon, her powers and regeneration abilities were low. She lasted twice as long as a human woman and at least half an hour had elapsed; she was beginning to go numb and bruised greatly.

Both Yuya's legs were now purple, cut, bruised, swollen, and reddened. Her tears of anguish poured down her cheeks and she was sweating. She had tried to hold back her cries, but a couple of yelps and squeals had escaped. The villagers were growing tired as well.

"Let's take a break. Maybe we should go for her arms next," Someone implied, and everyone once again agreed. It seems they were planning to kill her slowly.

"We better make sure we hide the evidence…we don't want to fight with the Lord of this land…he'll slaughter us in a blink of an eye," said a short, chubby woman in her 50s, "Let's hide her in a storage house first. The chief has some powerful anti-demon seals given to us as protection by the Lord." They obeyed and one of the strong men grabbed Yuya by her hair and dragged her into a nearby storage shed. The room was barely full, and it turned out to be a prison for hostages or prisoners. They tossed Yuya in and then locked the door, sealing it. They placed even more anti-demon seals on the doors and the sides of the walls. Everyone resumed their business and tasks as though nothing had happened.


	11. Chapter 11

Bankotsu and Jakotsu had arrived, hiding within the bushes and behind trees. They watched the villagers slowly disperse into their homes to retire for the night. Bankotsu had no idea of what they did to Yuya. He thought they had put her somewhere safe and fed her properly; he had no idea that they had beaten her to the point where she couldn't walk for a week or two.

"I'll get rid of the chief first and set fire to this village, you go search within every shed and room and find Yuya," Bankotsu ordered, and began pulling out his knives for easier access. Jakotsu half-heartedly obeyed and swiftly dashed to the other side of the woods, waiting for Bankotsu to make his move.

Bankotsu's eyes narrowed and dimmed back to the same expression he had when he killed the man. He couldn't wait to pay back the village chief for everything. His fingers tightened around the blade's shaft as he crouched low and made his way behind a small shed. A couple of elderly women passed by, giggling and grinning as though they had done nothing wrong. Bankotsu watched them with pure rage, _they were probably involved too…all of them are!_

He quickly got up and ran towards the village chief's shed, which obviously was the biggest one among the village. Once he had snuck inside, all the treasures that the chief has ever obtained were lined up in the corner of the room. Each treasure was polished to the point where you could see your own reflection like a mirror. Not too far away from the treasure laid the village chief, who was snoring and drooling as he began to scratch his butt crack. Bankotsu loomed over him with a blank expression. He held his knife high, but the light reflected off of the blade had awoken the chief. Bankotsu was prepared for this, so he shoved a small handkerchief into the chief's mouth, muffling him. He didn't give the elderly man a chance to free himself.

"Remember my mother, you asshole? Remember my father you so cruelly tortured? They've come back for revenge…in the form of ME!" Just as Bankotsu spoke the last word in the sentence, he drove the knife into the chief's belly, causing his blood to ooze out like a lazy river. Pulling out the knife, Bankotsu allowed the liquid to drip onto the floor near his bare feet. He didn't care about a mess. He wanted a mess.

The village chief toppled over to his side, clutching onto his stab wound and begged for Bankotsu's mercy as he reached out his bloody hand, "I…I didn't mean to! I…it wasn't me!" he lied. Frantically, the old man waved his finger towards the outside and began to stutter, "I-it was Noboru! The Noboru! He…he told us the murderer had to be executed…and his family included!"

"Cut the crap, you wrinkled piece of shit," Bankotsu said as he rolled his eyes and angrily kicked the elderly man against the chest, "I know everything, one of your dumbass so called assassins told me everything." This had caused the chief's eyes to widen. He had made the mistake of hiring someone Bankotsu knew…and had forgotten that the man had a big mouth. Bankotsu didn't care for anymore words from the chief, and reached for one of the lit candles. "Say goodbye to your village," he grinned as he lowered it onto the floor and began to tie the chief up with some ropes before resuming his arson. Lighting the chief's straw bed on fire, Bankotsu stepped back to watch the chief struggle furiously as his mouth was gagged and his body bound. Bankotsu brought along more candles as he headed outside of the burning shed and began to light a couple of other homes on fire. He didn't want to stop until the entire area was burnt to the ground.

Bankotsu snapped back to his senses as he realized what he had done. He knew he had gone too far and didn't know what to do. From the corner of his eyes, he saw one of the elderly women he had seen earlier crawling her way out of her burnt down hut. Bankotsu approached her to help, but she replied with a startled cry and began spitting at him, "GET AWAY FROM ME…YOU…YOU'RE THAT WHORE'S CHILD!" Before she could say anything else, her yells were then lowered to gasps as she was stabbed by Bankotsu as well. He had enough of this. Everything he had done…all the good deeds he had done to try and atone for his father's sins didn't do shit. He thought that since he couldn't make everything better, he may as well follow his father's path and be branded a murderer as well. Bankotsu was convinced that he will not trust anyone other than himself and his comrades. Everyone else was just an enemy to him. A hindrance and part of this twisted world.

Her legs were hurting and she was hungry. Yuya had never thought that the villagers, who probably were loyal and loving to her father, would do something like this to her. She clenched her teeth and began to wish that she was ripping off the flesh of those disgraceful villagers. Now she couldn't wait until she became the next ruler of this land. She wanted to cleanse the land of all possible traitors. Her body began to weaken due to all the anti-demon seals around the room. Yuya's tail began to emerge and her ears began to grow fur. Her true form was beginning to show and she couldn't maintain it any longer. It was the villagers' mistake for trying to weaken her, because her race is known for their backup powers; their true forms. Eventually, she began to unconsciously wish for Bankotsu to come comfort her. Both her parents and brother probably wouldn't know where she was anyway. She believes that they don't really care about her like that.

Yuya's eyes began to drift off to sleep until suddenly the sounds of screaming women and yowling men echoed through the blazing night. She sat up and stared out the barred window in surprise; the entire village was up in flames. Villagers were scattered and most had evacuated the village and completely forgot about Yuya. The bars of the windows wouldn't budge no matter how much she pushed and pulled; mostly because of her drainage of power. The wide door to the storage room was then kicked open, and Jakotsu stood there staring straight at the partially transformed Yuya. He thought she was the wrong person and was disappointed by her appearance, "Why is there a furry here?" he said in disgust, and didn't know that this was only her partial transformation and that he was supposed to save her.

She didn't know who this boy was and noticed how feminine he looked. Ignoring the comment about herself being a furry, she asked him, "Who are you?" and had smelt Bankotsu's scent on him.


	12. Chapter 12

Bankotsu could only watch as the young demoness began walking ahead of him in silence. Both boys just shrugged and followed her. Once they had found a good place to chop wood, they went onto their tasks. Yuya simply sat there and ate the onigiri that Soya had packed for them. Nobody bothered to disturb her because they didn't want her to head-butt them. Bankotsu's bruise was still there from the head-butt earlier.

Yuya's eye wandered on the grass below her and chewed her food slowly. She then saw a daisy dancing in the weak breeze. Even in a weak breeze, the flower continued to dance its full grace. Yuya, as usual, was reminded of the girl she hated so much. She immediately slammed her heel down onto the flower and began crushing it by grinding her foot down into the dirt. The two boys were distracted by her behavior, and began to worry about her mental situation. "Are you okay there, Yuya?" Bankotsu asked, remembering that time she had killed a flower before.

Looking up, Yuya nodded and forced a fake grin. Hiding the now crushed flower with dirt, Yuya decided to help out since she feels much better now. Once they had chopped enough wood, it was already noon. They decided to head back, but by the time they were a couple of feet away from the house, a loud scream was heard. Yuya could smell blood and Bankotsu was the first to drop everything and run inside. Jakotsu clumsily followed along as his stack of firewood fell apart as they dropped. Yuya wasn't sure what was going on, but slowly placed her basket down and went inside. The whole room was a mess and there was much more people inside than she had last remembered.

Yuya then recognized the intruders; they were some of the people from the village. One of the villagers had already impaled Soya's husband with a pickaxe while the rest of them were rummaging through trunks and boxes. Soya's husband had tried to stop them, but was killed in the process. Soya and Hotaru were hugging each other in fear and disbelief. Bankotsu had shoved the villagers aside while Jakotsu began hitting them with the nearest blunt object, to which he had trouble lifting and clumsily waved it around, knocking things over. Yuya simply inched away as she ran to Soya and Hotaru's side. She wiped Hotaru's tears away and tried to calm Soya down. Bankotsu and Jakotsu were being held forced back by the villagers, and in anger, Bankotsu had struck one of them in the face with his fist. Now the villagers were mad and they began swinging knives and weapons. Bankotsu was cut by them a couple of times, but he responded by striking them in the head with a thick stick of wood. Sometimes the impact was strong enough to knock them out.

Soya screamed as one of the villagers had a pickaxe over his head and was ready to pummel them. Yuya arched her brows and immediately, a knife flew straight into the man's chest. He responded with a loud yell as he fell back in pain. The villagers this time weren't as weak as the ones they had to deal with before; these were the village's trained fighters. They had decided to wreak havoc since their homes were destroyed and began robbing people. Bankotsu angrily shoved them aside, not really wanting to kill them.

The entire house was being trashed, and Soya's husband had died of blood loss. Soya and Hotaru were both wide eyed as they watched the bloodshed. Bankotsu was being cut up by the villagers and Jakotsu was being kicked and beaten while being called a fag. Yuya had no choice but to fend off the rest of the villagers alone. Knives, meat skewers, and other steel weapons floated around her and were thrown in the direction of the villagers. A few avoided it, the rest were impaled. Since Yuya wasn't well trained, she couldn't control her abilities quite well. She was knocked down and her arms were pinned to her back. She couldn't move and the villagers had tossed the weapons beyond her abilities' reach.

Bankotsu and Jakotsu were both exhausted from fighting, and were both pinned down with knives to their necks. Soya and Hotaru were confronted by the leader of the group; the village chief's son, Shou. He viciously pushed Hotaru aside and pulled Soya closer by her hair. She cried out from the pain and felt as though her scalp was going to tear. Yuya hissed a warning to them as she saw Hotaru being beaten for struggling.

"Your husband has owed us money for a LONG time…and you guys came and hid out in the middle of nowhere?" Shou shouted accusingly, "How about you owe us back right now? You even had enough to feed these kids…or you can sell your body."

That last remark had angered Soya and she lashed out at Shou, to which he punched her across the face. Soya was now bleeding through her nose, yet she continued glaring up at Shou. He didn't seem intimidated; instead he headed over to Hotaru and paused. What felt like an eternity was suddenly shattered when Shou kicked Hotaru in between his legs. The boy let out an ear shattering cry as he quickly clenched his legs together in pain, but his legs were forced open as Shou continued kicking him there. The boy wanted to bite his tongue off from the pain, but his cheeks were cupped, preventing him.

Bankotsu's face was twisted with rage, Jakotsu was covered in sweat as he was purple and blue all over, Yuya's heart twisted into a knot as she watched the boy cry out every time he was struck, and Soya began to take action. She used her last bits of strength and pulled herself out of the men's grasp. She picked up a knife and impaled Shou in the back. He cried out and pushed Soya away, causing her to stumble and fall. "KILL THIS BITCH, KILL HER!" he screamed hysterically as he pulled the knife out of his back. Hotaru was barely conscious as he watched his mother being repeatedly stabbed by multiple men. They tore at her clothing and sliced off pieces of her skin in the process. Soya's shrill screams and blood curdling cries eventually died out as they finished her off by cutting her tongue. Yuya's eyes were wide, Bankotsu and Jakotsu were both speechless, and Hotaru could only quiver and eventually screamed.

The entire area was quiet for a whole minute and Shou let out a cackle. He turned around to face everyone and laughed out loud. "SEE? THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU OPPOSE ME…YOU GET MURDERED, BRUTALLY. SEE KIDS? SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DISRESPECT YOUR ELDERS?!"

Bankotsu's face then dimmed as he began growling, "Shut….the fuck…UP."

Shou paused and crouched down near the bound Bankotsu, "Say what kid? What'd you say?"

"I said…SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Immediately, Bankotsu tackled Shou, who fell onto his back in surprise. Bankotsu then began punching him with all his might, causing Shou's bones to make sickening noises. Hotaru's eyes began to water as he began wailing and crying for his mother. The sounds of pain and crying had energized Yuya. She grunted as the metals from farther away began to tremble and float awkwardly towards the men around her. They were each impaled by a sharp steel object, and half of them were killed. The rest of them began tackling her down, to which she scratched and bit them furiously like a wildcat. She suddenly stopped when she heard Bankotsu scream out in pain. Shou had stabbed his thigh with a blade.

Rolling to his side, Bankotsu clutched his thigh as it had the blade in his flesh. Jakotsu was beginning to lose himself and started swinging machetes wildly, "MOVE! GET AWAY FROM HIM, LEAVE HIM ALONE!" He then knelt down next to Bankotsu and began ripping pieces of his clothing to stop Bankotsu's bleeding.

Yuya worried about her friend as well as Hotaru. The men began struggling to hold Hotaru down. Hotaru stubbornly tried to fight back, and used his wits to avoid the blades that were flying at him. Yuya scrambled up onto her knees and dashed towards Hotaru. She tackled him to the ground just as someone had almost stabbed him from behind. Yuya ended up having her shoulder scratched by the blade.


	13. Chapter 13

Jakotsu didn't really care where they went or what they were going to do. What he did with the rest of his life didn't matter anymore. He felt as though there was no purpose in life if you didn't get to do whatever you wanted without boundaries. One thing that was bothering him at the moment was the fact that Yuya was allowed to sit within the small wagon they had which carried their belongings. She herself didn't particularly have anything, since she had a home to go back to. Jakotsu still didn't accept Yuya as a friend and saw her as a rival.

"I think we should stop somewhere and rest a bit. My arms are killing me," Jakotsu complained as he lowered the wagon with Yuya on it, causing her to tilt over and apply pressure onto her injured legs. She sucked in some air through her teeth as she quickly stuck her legs out from underneath her. Bankotsu had watched the whole thing and shook his head. He knew what Jakotsu was trying to do and thought it was a bit too early for him to be bickering with Yuya like this. "Oh, look!" Jakotsu suddenly squealed with delight as he pointed towards a decently sized cabin just a couple of yards away. The rooftop could be seen through all the trees because of its color and the flowers surrounding it. A huge flag was flapping in the wind whilst attached to the building. Gritting her teeth, Yuya was reminded of the injuries to her legs. It would immobilize her so she will either be left out or had to be in one spot the whole time unless she was willing to move by crawling. She doesn't tolerate pain, so even injuries like this were enough for her to bawl like a baby.

The group approached the inn and Bankotsu softly knocked at the door. Nobody answered the door for a couple of seconds, but just as Bankotsu was going to do it again, a human boy wearing a short gray kimono, a worn out pair of getas and a dirty hakama emerged from the door. He was only a foot shorter than Bankotsu and appeared socially awkward. His brown hair was tied in an extremely short ponytail, he had large brown eyes, and his bangs were parted in the middle. The boy was backing away from Bankotsu and seemed nervous as Yuya and Jakotsu were staring at him. He ran inside and called for his mother. A few minutes later, a woman peered out from the door and began speaking in a calm tone, "May I ask what you young ones is here for?" The woman appeared to be in her middle ages and had a couple of gray hairs and wrinkles. Her eyes were partially shut as though she was tired and her speech was slow.

Yuya was going to speak, using her title, but Bankotsu began before she could even utter a word, "We're here for shelter," He said, adding a childish grin, "Our parents were killed in the village back there...but we managed to escape." His tone was sincere for a moment and had managed to fool even Jakotsu, who knew very well what had happened to Bankotsu's parents. The woman eyed Jakotsu who was taller than both Yuya and Bankotsu, but Yuya would be considered the oldest among them due to being a demon.

The woman then looked Bankotsu up and down, noticing his blood stains and luckily, the crew had tossed away their weapons at the scene of the crime. "You boys are fine, but the girl cannot come," she said, pointing to Yuya while glaring at her, "Demons are not welcome into my household. If she takes one step closer towards this house, the seals we have placed will purify her." The crew looked closely at the house and noticed many seals poking out from behind signs. Yuya didn't want to cause trouble for her two new friends, so she decided to head home instead, "It's alright guys. I understand. I'll go home first, but I'll be back to pick you guys up at…?" her voice trailed off as she eyed the boys, questioning the time to meet back up.

"Are you retarded? Your legs haven't healed!" Bankotsu hissed, clearly worried of his comrade's physical state. He then turned to the woman and began to pester her, hoping she'd reconsider, "Please, she's the daughter of the Lord in this land, so please…just let her stay. We'll make sure she stays out of trouble. I mean, we brought her all the way here with no problem."

The woman's expression softened as Bankotsu reasoned with her quite well. "In one condition…we get to restrain her arms and make sure she doesn't move from her spot." It was easy to see that she'd be pleased and content as long as Yuya was bound and kept in a corner. They had no choice but to agree to her terms.

That night, the woman was preparing dinner and hummed a tune along with it. Bankotsu felt surprisingly at home and actually felt as though he missed being a normal boy. He sat at the end of the short Japanese styled table and Jakotsu was right next to him. Yuya was in the corner of the room, her arms bound to her back, and was sitting with her legs crossed (she was wearing shorts at the time). She hasn't felt this uncomfortable and itchy since she met Bankotsu, with her first impression being the dumbass whose clothing got caught in the bush. Her eyes scanned the room and she began taking note due to her boredom and limited movement.

Bankotsu's hair had gotten noticeably longer…by at least an inch to three. Jakotsu was still the same old happy-go-lucky guy, but was swooning all over Bankotsu, claiming to be his future wife. Yuya then laid her eyes upon the boy who had answered the door earlier. He was staring back at Yuya as well, feeling afraid and intimidated. The boy headed over to his mother and tugged on her sleeve, then began whispering something to her. Yuya's ears twitched as she heard the conversation since the boy wasn't much of a whisperer. "Momma, she's hurt…maybe we should give her a bed to lie on." The boy pleaded, feeling sympathetic towards Yuya who seemed to mean no harm.

"Stop tugging on me, Hotaru. Demons don't deserve pity…not after what they've done to humans." She growled as she began strangling the vegetables in her hands. The boy lowered his head in response, knowing his mother was quite angry at the moment. He then headed into one of the rooms down the hall and slid the door shut. The woman took a deep breath and continued chopping the vegetables as the entire room was in awkward silence.

Feeling talkative, Jakotsu began having everyone introduce themselves. "S-so miss…what should we call you? It feels weird to keep calling you miss, when you clearly have a name." He grinned, not very fond of being friendly to females.

Continuing her task, the woman began to dump the vegetables into a burning pan and the sounds of sizzling blasted through the air, "I'm Soya!" she shouted over the noise, "Just call me madam while you're in my house!" Stirring the vegetables, Soya blinked each time the pan crackled and popped. She began pouring brownish contents into the food, dying the greens into a golden shade. It turned out to be seasoning and sauce.

Bankotsu didn't like the level of boredom he was currently in, and decided to head over to where Yuya was and play with her. He scooted over to where she sat and grinned at her like an idiot. His eyelids were lowered as though he were mocking her current position, "What's it like to be bound by two different people in one day?" he asked, not knowing what it was like, "Must be quite humiliating…considering the fact that you're a demon and all...being tied up by humans so easily."


	14. Chapter 14

Yuya squinted at him as though she couldn't believe her ears, "How about we switch places, maybe you'll understand what it's like," she said through gritted teeth, "I would be fine outside in the cold…I'm used to it." She felt like being tough, but in reality, she was afraid of the dark and slept with a candle lit. Bankotsu knew that fact because she had always suspiciously asked him to relight the fire whenever it went out.

"Alright everyone…dinner is ready," Soya said as she had finished preparing the food and was now placing the dishes onto the table. There was nicely boiled chicken in the center, and around that dish were a variety of vegetables and a platter of fish in a black sauce. Soya went into the hallway and began calling her son and husband out to eat. Soya's husband, a chubby man who was also quite short compared to her, emerged from one of the rooms, holding a bottle of sake. He was kind of drunk and stumbled as he made his way to the kitchen (okay, never mind, he's quite drunk.) Hotaru arrived shortly after and helped his dad into his seat. The man had to rub his eyes and stare at the three new guests.

"Either my eyes are going bad early, or our family has multiplied," he said in disbelief and lifted the bottle of sake to his face and began talking to it, "You need to stop tempting me. I am a married man with a son."

She chuckled uncomfortably and nudged her husband as she snatched away the sake and placed it to the side, "Honey, these are temporary guests…please behave yourself." Turning to face Bankotsu and the others, Soya smiled and apologized for her husband's actions, "He's a bit of a…umm…" she seemed to be lost with words to describe her husband in positive terms.

"Moron." Hotaru said with a mouthful of rice.

Soya responded by quickly clasping a hand over her son's mouth and nagged him, "Hotaru don't say that about your father! And don't talk with your mouth full!" She was grateful that her husband wasn't aware, for he would have probably whacked his son on the side of the head. He was too intoxicated to notice.

Jakotsu and Bankotsu watched the family with blank expressions. They were both envious of the little family that was going on there, and Yuya didn't pay any mind, for she has a mother and father who does that. Her brother wasn't much of a playful type and usually kept himself cooped up in his room instead of eating dinner with the family. She had never tried food that commoners ate, so this was her first time. Yuya was more intrigued by the marvelous scent of the fish and poultry.

Soya had finished with her family and eyed her guests, realizing that they must be hungry, she began gesturing them to eat, "Come on, I made extra because of you guys! Eat it before it gets cold." Turning her head, she looked Yuya up and down, debating on whether or not she should be untied for dinner or tied. The young demoness stared back at Soya, curious of what she was thinking. _I bet this granny is going to make me starve_, Yuya thought as she shook her head. Soya began approaching her, much to Yuya's surprise, and began untying the ropes around her wrists.

Yuya began rubbing her wrists as she watched Soya move away from her. _Maybe this granny isn't so bad after all_, Yuya noted to herself, _she's probably just tense around us._

The entire household began digging into the food. Yuya was watching everyone at the end of the table; Bankotsu and Jakotsu were joking around and eating merrily, Hotaru was eyeing the boys as though they were his role model, and Soya would cackle or glare at the boys, depending on what they were joking about. Sometimes they spoke in dirty terms, which didn't please Soya for she wanted to keep her son pure for a while longer. Yuya's stare was then diverted onto Soya's husband. He was eating in utter silence and had almost fallen asleep face down into his bowl of rice. _Is this what alcohol does to people?_ Yuya wondered. She has never seen anyone drunk before, not even her sake-loving father, but then he was a powerful daiyokai, and simple human beverages wouldn't affect him like it would for a human.

After dinner was over, Soya was busy cleaning up the table and dishes, Bankotsu and Jakotsu were teaching Hotaru how to fight and said he should train to be a stronger man, and Soya's husband has passed out onto one of the cushions they had sat on during dinner time. He was snoring away while drooling. His breath reeked of alcohol and Yuya's sensitive nose wrinkled from the scent.

She was so glad that Hotaru understood her pain and handed her a bag filled with herbs and flowers to mask the alcohol odor. Yuya thanked him and breathed in the sweet scent within the bag. Hotaru watched her with his lips parted, and Yuya glanced down at what appeared to be a scar across his arm. "What's that?" she asked, reaching for him. Hotaru quickly moved back and pulled his sleeve over the scar, "It…it's nothing…I injured myself a long time ago." His tone of voice clearly showed that he was lying. Yuya knew how to tell if someone was lying, her mother had taught her that…for reasons unknown.

Soya was watching the whole scene, and she bit her bottom lip in response. Bankotsu had caught a glimpse of a teardrop and her quivering chin. He knew something was up with this family, but couldn't seem to put a finger on it.

Later on that night, Yuya was still bound in the same corner, but was given blankets and a pillow to lie on. That pillow happened to be Bankotsu, who knew of her fear of the dark. Yuya was using his chest and biceps as a pillow, and they both appeared to look like brother and sister doing so. Jakotsu, feeling envious and suspicious, was also there with them, lying beside Bankotsu.

Yuya's sensitive hearing had picked up the loud snoring of Soya's husband, and she was a light sleeper. Having been rudely awoken, Yuya sat up and noticed that the room was lit by moonlight, but she was more concerned of the dark corners where light couldn't reach. She imagines things staring at her from those corners, which sometimes causes her to see things that aren't there. Yuya buried her face into Bankotsu's blankets as she scooted even closer to him.


	15. Chapter 15

That night, Yuya was dreaming about something from her childhood. It was about a child with black hair, who constantly seeked affection and attention from the people around her. A navy-blue haired girl had taken that attention and affection from her. She had stolen it from her within a heartbeat. The boys and girls that the black haired girl played with left her alone upon hearing the arrival of the blue haired girl. The black haired girl could only sit and wait for the people to come back to her. She had sat at her porch waiting as she stabbed the dirt with a stick and doodled into the sand. Her brother, mother, and father had all gone to greet the girl. Nobody has ever acted that way to her when she visited. Deep down, Yuya had always wished that the girl would just disappear, but her parents had scolded her not to hold bitter feelings against people.

Everyone would simply run past the black haired girl and continuously call for the blue haired girl. They wouldn't bother stopping to say hi to Yuya. Jealousy and anger was built up inside her, but pushed off to the deepest corners of her heart. One day, she saw the well-liked blue haired girl and felt the familiar sting of hatred and jealousy. The girl was tending flowers and looked so serene and gentle doing so. Soon enough, the black haired girl's brother had come up behind the blue haired girl and placed a freshly picked daisy into her hair. She looked pretty with it, and she was even prettier when she smiled. The black haired girl's teeth were gritted tight and her claws were extended; she wanted to harm the girl.

The black haired girl was heavily punished for harming the blue haired girl. She had slashed the girl on the arm and caused her to bleed. It wasn't life threatening, but it would've left a scar if it were more serious. The black haired girl was scolded by her angry family, looked down upon by servants, and hated by friends. The blue haired girl didn't seem to hold a grudge, and simply forgave her. It made the black hair girl even angrier and as a result, she left the castle for a few days. Nobody came to find her because they knew she could take care of herself, but she thought that they simply didn't care.

"Yuya, Yuya? Yuya, wake up!"

Yuya's eyes fluttered open, and soon she was face to face with Bankotsu; who was leaning quite close to her face. She screamed in response and ended up head-butting him. He fell back and his forehead was then bruised. "Goddammit, Yuya! Is your head made of steel?!" Bankotsu cried as he writhed in pain and clasped his forehead. Jakotsu was amused, he simply pointed and laughed.

"Since you guys are up, why don't you go and get us some firewood?" Soya said as she entered the room in her apron and simple kimono, "It's going to snow tonight so we'll need a lot." The trio each had different responses; Jakotsu whined and moaned since he had to do work, Bankotsu simply grinned and placed a fist to his chest, and Yuya simply yawned for she had just woken up.

Once the three had fixed themselves up, they were given ropes and axes. Yuya brought along food in case they got hungry. Hotaru ran up to Yuya and gave her a strange amulet, "It's a good luck charm. I always bring this with me when I go out…so that danger doesn't befall me," he said as his eyes twinkled up at Yuya. She simply smiled down at him and thanked him, assuming she didn't need any luck, because she could easily defeat any minor demon or bandit.

"You sure you can walk?" Bankotsu asked as he pointed to Yuya's bandaged legs.

"Of course, I'm a demon…we heal fast." Yuya limped a teeny bit, but she was almost completely healed. Her muscles were simply sore at the moment.

Yuya was ahead of the two boys as they conversed, laughing and acting as though their killing of the village chief never happened. Her head was hung and she still remembered the dream she had. Yuya remembered what happened a year later after all that. She remembered returning home to a partially empty household. Her mother, father, brother, her brother's henchmen, and most of the soldiers were gone. The guards didn't tell her where they went, and the security at home was surprisingly tighter. She was extra lonely with her family gone. As a result, she threw a tantrum and destroyed her room; nobody cared, as usual. A couple of days later, Yuya watched as her injured mother and father arrived back home; one of her father's leg had been cut off and he couldn't regenerate it, her mother was covered in bandages around her body and had to help her beloved walk, the soldiers were reduced by half, and Yuya's brother was muttering something to himself as though he had seen something horrifying.

Nobody paid any attention to Yuya at all, but she didn't care. She was more curious in what the hell happened while she was away. Nobody told her anything, nobody cared when she threatened to kill someone, and nobody cared when she threatened to leave the castle forever. As she grew up, Yuya eventually learned that her family had gone to war; a war which had costed thousands upon thousands of lives. She then began isolating herself from the family, feeling different because she didn't seem to have lost anything of importance or experienced any of the horrors that they had. The blue haired girl stopped coming over much to Yuya's pleasure, but her happiness was ruined when she saw Isamu clutching onto the girl's hair pin. He was in deep depression and the castle was in deep gloom. It felt like a funeral that lasted years.

The family recovered eventually, and everything returned to normal; all except Isamu. He was now a cold demon who didn't care about anyone but himself. He didn't seem to enjoy the same activities he did before, and Yuya was afraid of him. Isamu would glare at her as though he wanted to slaughter her. He would talk back to his father and mother as though they were nothing. Isamu especially hated humans due to the war, since the enemy consisted of mostly humans. Her family was now more distant than they had used to be, and her parents didn't seem to be as lovey dovey anymore. They still loved each other, but they didn't show it as much.

"Yuya!"

Yuya was then back into reality and out of her memories, she was once again inches from Bankotsu's face and narrowed her eyes, "You want another head-butt?" she asked him and he responded by stepping back, "I thought so."


	16. Chapter 16

Bankotsu could only watch as the young demoness began walking ahead of him in silence. Both boys just shrugged and followed her. Once they had found a good place to chop wood, they went onto their tasks. Yuya simply sat there and ate the onigiri that Soya had packed for them. Nobody bothered to disturb her because they didn't want her to head-butt them. Bankotsu's bruise was still there from the head-butt earlier.

Yuya's eye wandered on the grass below her and chewed her food slowly. She then saw a daisy dancing in the weak breeze. Even in a weak breeze, the flower continued to dance its full grace. Yuya, as usual, was reminded of the girl she hated so much. She immediately slammed her heel down onto the flower and began crushing it by grinding her foot down into the dirt. The two boys were distracted by her behavior, and began to worry about her mental situation. "Are you okay there, Yuya?" Bankotsu asked, remembering that time she had killed a flower before.

Looking up, Yuya nodded and forced a fake grin. Hiding the now crushed flower with dirt, Yuya decided to help out since she feels much better now. Once they had chopped enough wood, it was already noon. They decided to head back, but by the time they were a couple of feet away from the house, a loud scream was heard. Yuya could smell blood and Bankotsu was the first to drop everything and run inside. Jakotsu clumsily followed along as his stack of firewood fell apart as they dropped. Yuya wasn't sure what was going on, but slowly placed her basket down and went inside. The whole room was a mess and there was much more people inside than she had last remembered.

Yuya then recognized the intruders; they were some of the people from the village. One of the villagers had already impaled Soya's husband with a pickaxe while the rest of them were rummaging through trunks and boxes. Soya's husband had tried to stop them, but was killed in the process. Soya and Hotaru were hugging each other in fear and disbelief. Bankotsu had shoved the villagers aside while Jakotsu began hitting them with the nearest blunt object, to which he had trouble lifting and clumsily waved it around, knocking things over. Yuya simply inched away as she ran to Soya and Hotaru's side. She wiped Hotaru's tears away and tried to calm Soya down. Bankotsu and Jakotsu were being held forced back by the villagers, and in anger, Bankotsu had struck one of them in the face with his fist. Now the villagers were mad and they began swinging knives and weapons. Bankotsu was cut by them a couple of times, but he responded by striking them in the head with a thick stick of wood. Sometimes the impact was strong enough to knock them out.

Soya screamed as one of the villagers had a pickaxe over his head and was ready to pummel them. Yuya arched her brows and immediately, a knife flew straight into the man's chest. He responded with a loud yell as he fell back in pain. The villagers this time weren't as weak as the ones they had to deal with before; these were the village's trained fighters. They had decided to wreak havoc since their homes were destroyed and began robbing people. Bankotsu angrily shoved them aside, not really wanting to kill them.

The entire house was being trashed, and Soya's husband had died of blood loss. Soya and Hotaru were both wide eyed as they watched the bloodshed. Bankotsu was being cut up by the villagers and Jakotsu was being kicked and beaten while being called a fag. Yuya had no choice but to fend off the rest of the villagers alone. Knives, meat skewers, and other steel weapons floated around her and were thrown in the direction of the villagers. A few avoided it, the rest were impaled. Since Yuya wasn't well trained, she couldn't control her abilities quite well. She was knocked down and her arms were pinned to her back. She couldn't move and the villagers had tossed the weapons beyond her abilities' reach.

Bankotsu and Jakotsu were both exhausted from fighting, and were both pinned down with knives to their necks. Soya and Hotaru were confronted by the leader of the group; the village chief's son, Shou. He viciously pushed Hotaru aside and pulled Soya closer by her hair. She cried out from the pain and felt as though her scalp was going to tear. Yuya hissed a warning to them as she saw Hotaru being beaten for struggling.

"Your husband has owed us money for a LONG time…and you guys came and hid out in the middle of nowhere?" Shou shouted accusingly, "How about you owe us back right now? You even had enough to feed these kids…or you can sell your body."

That last remark had angered Soya and she lashed out at Shou, to which he punched her across the face. Soya was now bleeding through her nose, yet she continued glaring up at Shou. He didn't seem intimidated; instead he headed over to Hotaru and paused. What felt like an eternity was suddenly shattered when Shou kicked Hotaru in between his legs. The boy let out an ear shattering cry as he quickly clenched his legs together in pain, but his legs were forced open as Shou continued kicking him there. The boy wanted to bite his tongue off from the pain, but his cheeks were cupped, preventing him.

Bankotsu's face was twisted with rage, Jakotsu was covered in sweat as he was purple and blue all over, Yuya's heart twisted into a knot as she watched the boy cry out every time he was struck, and Soya began to take action. She used her last bits of strength and pulled herself out of the men's grasp. She picked up a knife and impaled Shou in the back. He cried out and pushed Soya away, causing her to stumble and fall. "KILL THIS BITCH, KILL HER!" he screamed hysterically as he pulled the knife out of his back. Hotaru was barely conscious as he watched his mother being repeatedly stabbed by multiple men. They tore at her clothing and sliced off pieces of her skin in the process. Soya's shrill screams and blood curdling cries eventually died out as they finished her off by cutting her tongue. Yuya's eyes were wide, Bankotsu and Jakotsu were both speechless, and Hotaru could only quiver and eventually screamed.

The entire area was quiet for a whole minute and Shou let out a cackle. He turned around to face everyone and laughed out loud. "SEE? THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU OPPOSE ME…YOU GET MURDERED, BRUTALLY. SEE KIDS? SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DISRESPECT YOUR ELDERS?!"

Bankotsu's face then dimmed as he began growling, "Shut….the fuck…UP."

Shou paused and crouched down near the bound Bankotsu, "Say what kid? What'd you say?"

"I said…SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Immediately, Bankotsu tackled Shou, who fell onto his back in surprise. Bankotsu then began punching him with all his might, causing Shou's bones to make sickening noises. Hotaru's eyes began to water as he began wailing and crying for his mother. The sounds of pain and crying had energized Yuya. She grunted as the metals from farther away began to tremble and float awkwardly towards the men around her. They were each impaled by a sharp steel object, and half of them were killed. The rest of them began tackling her down, to which she scratched and bit them furiously like a wildcat. She suddenly stopped when she heard Bankotsu scream out in pain. Shou had stabbed his thigh with a blade.

Rolling to his side, Bankotsu clutched his thigh as it had the blade in his flesh. Jakotsu was beginning to lose himself and started swinging machetes wildly, "MOVE! GET AWAY FROM HIM, LEAVE HIM ALONE!" He then knelt down next to Bankotsu and began ripping pieces of his clothing to stop Bankotsu's bleeding.

Yuya worried about her friend as well as Hotaru. The men began struggling to hold Hotaru down. Hotaru stubbornly tried to fight back, and used his wits to avoid the blades that were flying at him. Yuya scrambled up onto her knees and dashed towards Hotaru. She tackled him to the ground just as someone had almost stabbed him from behind. Yuya ended up having her shoulder scratched by the blade.


	17. Chapter 17

Both of them toppled down onto the floor, and Yuya held Hotaru close to her as though she were protecting her own son. The men were once again kicking her where her legs were beaten before. They knew she was probably still weak there, and used the chance to harm her. Hotaru was staring up at the pained Yuya, who had her eyes sealed shut and lips clamped together. He felt weak and wanted to be the one protecting her. Reaching for a weapon, Hotaru began slicing at the men's legs. Some fell to their knees and cried out; others pulled the weakened Yuya away from Hotaru and tossed her aside. Her eyes were a blur as she saw Hotaru down on his back as one man knelt down over him and held something in his hand. Yuya's sensitive ears suddenly went deaf for a moment as she saw a seemingly slow motion of blood splattering out of Hotaru's body and his arms waving wildly.

Yuya could only groan as she then began to hear ringing in her ears. Her body felt heavy as she dragged herself towards the man attacking Hotaru. Suddenly, she felt a burst of a strange sensation in her body and her senses began to tingle. Everything she saw turned to a tint of red, her body burned and heated up, she could feel her fangs extending, and her claws growing. Yuya's weakened state had awoken her true potential. The thing about her kind is that their true power only unveils when they're in danger. It's usually kept that way to prevent overdone killing and damage, but it's also kind of a power restraint or maybe a curse.

She felt as though someone else had possessed her body, because all she knew was that she saw everything that was happening, but she couldn't control her body or where she wanted to look. Yuya wanted to see if Hotaru was okay. The only things she could see were blood. Blood splattered all over her face as she somehow tore through a man's torso with one swipe. The men around them were also swiped and torn apart. The whole thing barely lasted five minutes.

Once everything was over, Yuya felt her body return to normal, and she was exhausted. She couldn't stand and instead dropped to her knees as she kneeled beside the bleeding Hotaru. Yuya lifted his head as she saw that his neck had been slit multiple times, as well as his arms that he had used to defend himself. Hotaru was having trouble breathing and he felt pain everywhere, "Yuya…right?" he asked as he turned his head slightly to view the demoness.

"Yes…Yes, I'm Yuya…Hotaru, you're going to be okay…I'll…I'll fix up that wound right now." Yuya was naïve about the fact that humans do not survive wounds like this. She didn't know that they were much weaker than demons and can die easily from cuts in their wrists and throats.

"Yuya…I'll be okay right?" Hotaru's mouth had begun spewing blood, and it was getting harder for him to speak, "I…don't wan'die…I don't…wa…die…" Hotaru's eyes were filled with tears as he thought about all the things he could've done with his life. All the goals and dreams that he wanted to have when he grew up. He wanted to study medicine, become a doctor. He wanted to help people and create a better world for his family and friends to live in. Despite his dreams, he was always told that he's too poor to go to school, or he's too dumb and weak-minded to deal with medical treatment, and too trusting in others, "Yuya, if I were just a bit..a bit older…would you have liked me?" Hotaru suddenly said as he looked up at her with the same twinkle in his eyes.

"What…? What do you mean?" Yuya asked. She wasn't used to confessions, nor has she ever gotten one.

"I…I think you're pretty…and you seem…nice…mom has always—" Hotaru was interrupted by a belch of blood, which he spat out, desperate to finish, "Mom has always. Told me that I have to marry a girl I like…a good girl…I think you're a good girl, would you have liked me…if I was strong and cool like Bankotsu-aniki?" He seemed really hopeful and curious despite the fact that he was dying.

"Y-yes…I would…of course…here, I'll patch you right up and we'll discuss this…okay?" Yuya's voice was shaking as she noticed the amount of blood which had pooled around them. It was hard to believe that a human could contain this much blood, but she knew very well that the more blood that is loss, the closer to death they are, "Just hang in there Hotaru…I'll get you some medicine, some bandages!"

Hotaru simply smiled in satisfaction as he stared up at the afternoon sky. It was a pretty shade of orange and red. He felt at ease as he began shutting his eyes, feeling relaxed and at peace.

Yuya was the first thing Hotaru saw as he opened his eyes. He was surprised to see her looming over him with a grin. Hotaru thought that he was in heaven, but felt his arms and neck bound and wrapped. He was naked waist up, wrapped in bandages. "He's awake!" Yuya called over to the group; Bankotsu, Jakotsu, and a strange man had run up beside the bed.

Hotaru was utterly confused as he saw Jakotsu and Bankotsu wrapped in bandages as well. Yuya seemed to have healed properly and was quite energetic. He tried to sit up, but ended up opening his wounds again.

Yuya gasped and quickly laid Hotaru down, "Doctor! We need more bandages!" the strange man nodded and dashed out of the room. He came back with a small box filled with medical equipment. Hotaru had never seen a doctor before, and he has never been treated by a real one. He felt as though he just met a celebrity.

The trio was packed as they healed up from their previous battle. They had buried Soya and her husband near the house. Hotaru was now able to walk, but required support. He stood next to the doctor who was grinning from ear to ear. Yuya had known the man from her castle. He came by a few times with medicine from distant places, which couldn't be obtained from her father's territory. Yuya knew this man could take care of Hotaru and bring him to her castle to visit once in a while.

"Are you really leaving?" Hotaru asked Yuya as he stared into her eyes, feeling saddened.

"I have to. We're being pursued by those bad guys…so I don't want you two staying her for long. I want you guys to live long…live healthy…so make sure you eat your veggies." Yuya felt like a mother saying all this, but deep down, she kind of wanted to be one, "We'll meet again someday. I want you to find a good wife and be a good man. Be a good doctor!"

Hotaru smiled up at her as he remembered being accepted as the doctor's pupil, "But…" He suddenly paused and appeared sad again, "But I want to marry you, Yuya."

This had caught her off guard and Yuya heard chuckles from Bankotsu and giggles from Jakotsu. Shaking her head, she ruffled Hotaru's hair and began to explain to him, "I'm too old for you Hotaru…but don't worry, there are a LOT of girls out there like me…you'll probably find a duplicate of me actually!"

"I don't think this world would be peaceful with more than one Yuya." Bankotsu suddenly said, grinning like a moron. He and Jakotsu high-fived each other like typical teenage boys who just pulled a prank.

"Shut up." Yuya muttered as she began picking up the basket of food she packed.

Suddenly, Bankotsu came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He began spinning her around and suddenly paused in front of Hotaru. He lowered his head and began whispering to the boy, "You want her? You know she's pretty old and will live longer than you, right?"

Hotaru replied with a sly smirk, "I know, but I don't care… and in a couple of years, I'll be two times better looking than you. I guarantee it."

Bankotsu simply lifted his head and released Yuya. He ignored her demands to know what he said to Hotaru. Instead, he as well ruffled Hotaru's hair and snickered to himself, "We'll see kid…we'll see." He began to pull the small wheel cart packed with supplies and began to move as Yuya and Jakotsu followed.  
Hotaru's heart ached as he watched his crush and his new friends leave. The sky was beginning to grow dark, but he knew they could take care of bad guys easily. It eventually began to flurry, and overnight a snowstorm may arrive. Once the trio had disappeared into the horizon, Hotaru headed into his cabin and began asking a shitload of questions to the doctor, each involving medicine, what women liked, and how-to-become-handsome.


	18. Chapter 18

A snowstorm arrived a couple of hours later, but luckily the trio had found an empty cave to spend the night. Bankotsu brought stacks of firewood, knowing very well that they would need it. Yuya was glad that she had sensed the upcoming weather and packed pots and pans for some mushroom soup. Jakotsu never tried her mushroom soup before, but he did enjoy the ones Bankotsu made. Obviously, Bankotsu shuddered at the thought of Yuya's mushroom soup and immediately refused.

The three of them had huddled together in front of the crackling fire. They began sharing childhood stories and getting to know each other. Jakotsu and Yuya both sandwiched Bankotsu in the middle, arguing over who was a better match for him. Bankotsu never noticed that they were speaking about being his soul mate; he thought they were arguing about who'd be his right hand man or something.

"Well, I've been with him longer than you," Jakotsu haughtily reminded her, knowing Bankotsu ever since he was a toddler.

"Well, I'm a girl, you're a guy….i know fairly well he prefers girls," Yuya said, smirking at the now angered Jakotsu.

"You know what? Let's settle this with a contest…winner gets Bankotsu, alright?" Jakotsu declared, standing up and allowing the cold air to zip underneath the blanket they all shared. Bankotsu shivered and hugged his knees to stay warm, and then Yuya also stood up. He was now deprived of the blanket's warmth. The two didn't even notice that Bankotsu was shivering and that he was trying to get them to stop stepping on the blankets. They were too busy glaring at each other and spatting nasty remarks.

Irritated, Bankotsu violently pulled the blankets out from underneath the two, causing them to fall on top of each other. He then wrapped himself up in the blankets like a cocoon and lied down near the fire. Both Yuya and Jakotsu slapped at each other, thinking one had fallen on the other on purpose.

"Get off of me you vile female!" Jakotsu screeched, pushing Yuya away.

Yuya was swinging her palm towards him, but only brushed his cheek because he had managed to push her before her hand could meet his face. The catfight lasted a good couple of minutes until the two were exhausted. Jakotsu then realized that Yuya was a demon, and began taunting her, "Hey, why're you so weak? Wouldn't you have torn me to pieces by now? Wow you're a pretty shitty breed of demon aren't you."

Jakotsu was now really pushing Yuya's buttons. She couldn't help being weak. Her powers haven't awakened yet because she hasn't quite struck puberty. The thing about her breed is that they acquire their full powers later on in life and not immediately at birth. She was still considered a toddler and extremely weak like a human. Getting up, she went and wrapped herself up in a spare blanket and lied on the opposite end of the fire. Yuya had grown tired, and ignored him for the rest of the night.

Morning came and the path of the cave's entrance was blanketed with snow. Bankotsu had always looked forward to a snowstorm because of all the fun he could have with it. He was standing at the opening of the cave, admiring the white field. It has been a while since he saw freshly lain snow, because in the village, they tend to clear the area once the storm was over.

Bankotsu was unaware of his two companions behind him pushing each other and elbowing one another quietly; with a few thumps and yelps.

Both Yuya and Jakotsu were soon interrupted in their catfight by the sight of the snow; white, fresh, soft, and undisturbed. Every time Yuya saw snow, it'd already have been trampled by animal or human tracks, shoveled away, or simply dirtied by an unknown stain. Jakotsu was like Bankotsu, living in a village that cleared away the snow once the storm lifted. Both boys dashed out of the cave and rolled around in the snow, despite the fact that they weren't clothed warmly enough. Yuya's moment of awe was shattered due to the two boys, who have now ruined the smoothness of the snow with their prints and unidentifiable snow angels. She shut her eyes momentarily to ease her accelerating anger. Taking a deep breath, the demoness went and joined the two boys in the snow.

Bankotsu was the first to throw a well-built snowball, which was the size of his head, and he threw it towards Jakotsu with all his might. Obviously, the usual quarrel between Yuya and Jakotsu was in session, but he was then hit in the face by the large snowball midsentence; bull's-eye.

The little argument ceased as Jakotsu tumbled into the three inches of snow. Yuya stood over him with a curious expression, but before she could even get a clear view of her rival's physical state, she was rudely struck in the back with a snowball. The coldness of the substance sent shivers up her spine, for it had also touched her bare arms and the back of her neck.

Twirling around, Yuya's eyes flashed an icy blue as she looked around for the culprit. Bankotsu was hunched over, scooping up snow to make more balls to use as ammo for his assault. Just as he was finished molding the snow into a circular shape, two smaller snowballs were thrown at him, catching him by surprise. He dropped the snowball he was holding and defended himself with his arms.

"Stop, Stop! Hold on, two versus one isn't fair!" He chuckled as the rain of snowballs continued to crash against his now drenched kimono and pants.

"Should've thought of that before you hit the both of us," Yuya said with a straight face as she crouched down to gather more snow.

While Yuya was gathering snow, Jakotsu would launch his newly molded snowball and toss it. They were working in perfect unison; while one was scooping up a snowball, the other would throw theirs.

Bankotsu felt cocky and decided to barrel roll his way out of danger. Soon, both the demoness and the feminine boy were missing Bankotsu by a hair. Eventually, they couldn't keep up with his speed of rolling, and were both knocked off of their feet by Bankotsu's random tackle.

He had pinned Jakotsu down with his legs, while he pinned Yuya with his arms. Both victims wriggled, but were no match to Bankotsu's sudden strength; even Yuya couldn't move him.

"I give!" Jakotsu cried out as he felt his body growing numb from lying in the snow.

Yuya did what she did best; physically hurting others using her teeth. She bit down on Bankotsu's unprotected wrist, causing him to gasp in surprise. Of course, she didn't bite hard enough to draw blood, but it did leave marks on him.

Bankotsu immediately got up and began to rub his wrist, a tiny teardrop in the corner of his left eye. Jakotsu and Yuya stood up and wiped themselves clean of snow, but their clothing was now wet.

"See, look what you did," Jakotsu muttered, partially pouting, "I didn't even bring spare clothes."

"Well whose fault is that?" Yuya grumbled, pissed that her most comfortable clothing was now wet, and she may have to take it off to dry over a fire.

"Shut up, vile woman."

Yuya looked up at her rival once again. Both parties were now glaring at one another, the same expressions they made when they were about to clash. Bankotsu stepped in and managed to cease the invisible static between the two.

All three of them headed back inside and dug into their baggage for extra clothing. Yuya's clothing consisted of mainly men's, so she was able to share with Jakotsu; not that he cared if he wore female or male clothing. Bankotsu was still trying to be tough and kept his wet clothes on. As a result, he got sick.


End file.
